Not that Different
by Water Angel
Summary: AU fic. Everything is kinda the same, they all escaped and split up, and now they want to re-group ten years later. This is sort of an other character centric fic. More details inside.
1. Default Chapter

Dark Angel Fanfiction Story

Dark Angel Fanfiction Story

Title: Not that Different

Author: Water Angel

Email: [water_angel_amy@yahoo.com][1]

Spoilers: Nothing really

Rating:

Summary:AU fic.Everything is kinda the same, they all escaped and split up, and now they want to re-group ten years later.Max is the same; she works for Jam Pony, with her roommate and best friend Angela.Zack and some of the other X-5's come looking for Max and things get interesting.Max is with Logan.This is kind of a Zack/Angela fic.And Angela and Original Cindy know about Max being from Manticore.Logan's not in a wheelchair.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for Angela.

PART 1: Introducing Angela

"Hot run of Freemont!"Normal said while throwing a package at Max, who was just walking through the door.

"Yeah, in a minute."Max grumbled."I just walked in the door from another run on the other side of town. I just wanna rest."

"And people just want their packages."Normal said, but when Max just kept staring at him, he relented."Five minutes.Then go."

"Thanx Normal."Max rolled her eyes.

"Girl, you really know how to get the most out of a man don't you?"Original Cindy said walking up to Max.

"Of course she does."Angela said walking up with her."She's had enough practice."

"Well I learned from the best."Max said, and they all laughed.

"So are we going to Crash tonight?"Angela asked folding her perfect figure into one of the crappy seats in Jam Pony.

"Yeah," Original Cindy said admiring Angela's form."One of my girls should be there.It could get interesting for Original Cindy."

"Things always get interesting for you."Angela grumbled."And for Max.It's not fair, you guys get all this action, why can I get any?"

"Couldn't help but overhear you girls."Mark, one of the other Jam Pony workers said to them."But hey, Angela, you're welcome to some action with me anytime."

Angela's eyes brightened and she moved towards Mark's ear, purring, "when you get a life and some looks, then I'll think about it."

Max with her feline hearing heard everything Angela said and laughed.Mark walked away angrily."What did she say?"Original Cindy demanded.Max told her and they all started laughing again.

"What is this? A social gathering?"Normal asked walking up to them."Come on Bip, bip, bip!"He said tapping his watch.

"Well gotta bounce."Max said getting up."Meet you guys back at the house."

"Aiight girl."Original Cindy said to her.

"Have fun," Angela said getting ready to go on a run of her own."See ya."They both left going in opposite directions.

Original Cindy watched the girls leave then went to work on her bike.The brakes weren't working that well and being around Max had taught her a thing or two.She had only been working for a short time when someone tapped her on the shoulder."What?Can't you see Original Cindy's working here?"She turned around to see two of the most gorgeous guys she had ever seen, and coming from her that was a compliment.

"Yeah, sorry," the blonde, blue-eyed, great-bodied one said."But we just want to know who we should talk to about getting a job here?"

Original Cindy raised her eyebrows."Are you sure you want to do that boo?I mean this isn't exactly glamour central."

"Well we're not looking for glamour, we're looking for jobs."The dark hair and eyed, brooding type told her."So who are we meant to see?"

"Message received man.God, no need to get defensive."Original Cindy said raising hr arms."If you want a job talk to him."She pointed to Normal standing behind the counter."But don't expect any luck, Normal's cheap when it comes to more staff."

"Thanx."The blonde one said walking with his friend over to the counter."Excuse me sir, we were wondering if there were any job openings?"

"Sir?"Normal looked up at the two men."Did you just call me sir?"

"Yes sir."The dark one said."We're not afraid of hard work, and we would be grateful for an opportunity to prove ourselves."

"Good," Normal nodded."It's good to see people who want to do good honest work."He pulled two pieces of paper from under the desk and handed them to the boys."Fill these out and come back tomorrow.Then we'll see what we can do for you."

"Thankyou sir," They both said in unison.

Original Cindy looked on with a bit of shock.She had never seen Normal hand over job applications without giving the person the third degree first.It must be something in the air, she thought to herself, and went back to fixing her ride.

*****

"Guess what happened today boo?"Original Cindy yelled into the bathroom trying to be heard over the shower.

"What?"Angela called back."That Max is ditching us to spend another heated night with her knight in shining armour Logan?"

"No, at least I hope not."Original Cindy said frowning.There had been many a night when Max hadn't shown up, preferring to spend the time with Logan instead."Normal's planning on hiring some new people."She didn't have to yell anymore because the shower had been turned off.

"Really?"Angela was surprised."Did he give than the usual third degree before he even considered hiring new people for our under-staffed Jam Pony haven?"

Original Cindy laughed."Girl if there was some sort of throne for sarcasm then you'd be the queen.But no, there was no third degree.No questions, nothing.They just talked for about a minute, then he hands over some applications.You should have seen it, after they left, Normal was grinning like the fool he is."

"Really?"Angela opened the door."How do I look?"She turned around, showing off her outfit.The black leather pants and backless halter-top clung to her like a second skin.Her long honey-brown hair hung down her back in waves to her waist and her green eyes glowed.

Original Cindy whistled. "Great look boo.You know you should seriously think of joining the all girls team."

Angela laughed, knowing that Original Cindy wasn't serious."Thanx, but I like men too much.That is, when I have a man to like.But anyway tell me about our new work mates.Male?Female?Come on, I need some information, this town really needs some action."

"Well to answer your question, they were men.And if I were straight I'd think about getting my claws into them."

"Really?"Angela's eyes lit up."Well, tell me more.It looks like life is going to get interesting after all."

They both laughed and while they waited for Max, Original Cindy told Angela everything she knew about the new guys.

"So are you guys ready to go?"Max said walking through the door, looking great in her black pants, red top and usual leather jacket.

"Been ready for the past hour boo."Original Cindy said."What took you so long?Been at Logan's?"

From the look on Max's face Original Cindy was right.When Max's smile got wider they all broke into laughter."Let's go."Max said walking to the door."I thought you guys wanted to party.

Original Cindy and Angela just kept laughing, but followed Max out the door.

*****

"So who are these new guys I keep hearing about?"Max asked when she brought another round of drink for them.

"Just these incredibly good-looking men with bodies like gods."Angela said taking a drink.

Max raised her eyebrows."You saw them?"

Angela shook her head, "No Original Cindy did.But I'm taking her word for it because she wouldn't lie to me."

Max turned to Original Cindy."You said that?That they had bodies like gods?Are you feeling okay?"Max asked placing a hand of her forehead.

"Hey, Original Cindy might not play with the men, but I still know how to appreciate the good form."

"So apart from bodies like gods, what do these guys look like?Or were you too busy staring at them to really have a good look?"

"They look like that."Original Cindy said nodding to two figures who just walked into Crash.

Angela spun around so fast it was amazing she didn't break her neck or something."Wow," she whispered, then shook herself out of her daze."You were right Original Cindy, bodies like gods."

"And they're coming this way!"Original Cindy said in a high-pitched voice."Quick, how do I look?Is my hair okay?" 

Angela laughed."And you call me the sarcasm queen."

The two guys walked up to them and the blonde one turned to talk to Original Cindy."Hey, thanx for helping us out before.We really appreciate it."

"No problem.So what did you say to Normal to get him to give you the job applications without giving you the third degree?"

"Nothing," the blonde one said."We just asked him if there were any job openings and he gave us the applications.By the way I'm Sam and this is Josh."

"I'm Original Cindy and these are my girls, Max and Angela."

"Hi," Angela said smiling brilliantly at them."So what made you decide to work at Jam Pony?Wanted to find out how low you could go without stooping too low?"

"Something like that."Sam said."So is this the only interesting place around here?"He said looking deep into Angela eyes.

"No, you just need to know where to look."Angela smiled like she had a secret.

Max smiled.Angela really seemed to like this Sam guy. And that was good, after her last boyfriend Angela needed someone more real.She felt her beeper on her hip jiggle and looked down at the number.It was Logan.She got up and went to the phone, dialling the number from memory."Yeah Logan what is it?"

"Max we have situation.I need you and Angela to get here ASAP."He said getting straight to business as usual.

"Okay."Max said."I'm fine and how are you?Crash is really happening tonight.I've been having fun."

"I mean it Max.You and Angela need to get here now."

"Alright we're on our way.See you soon."She hung up the phone and made her way back to the table."Angela, we gotta bounce.Have an errand to run."

Angela caught the look on Max's face and nodded."Well it was nice to meet you guys.See you at work, maybe."Then she ran after Max who was already halfway out the door."So what's going on?"She asked when she finally caught up with her.

"Don't know.Logan just said to get to his place ASAP." Max said getting on her motorcycle."Come on, get on."

Angela eyed the motorcycle warily."You're not going to drive like you've got a death wish are you?Because if you are I'm walking."

"I'll drive normal okay?Just get on."

"Well if you decide to go nuts warn me okay, so I can get off."Angela said getting on the bike.

"Fine," Max said taking off at one hundred miles and hour.Max smiled as she felt Angela's arms tighten around her waist.Angela really didn't like motorcycles.Well, she didn't mind them, she just didn't like it went Max was the driver.Max tended to go a bit crazier then usual when Angela was with her, just for the thrill.

At the speed she was going, it wasn't long before they were at Logan's apartment building."Am I glad that's over."Angela sighed."You know Max, one good thing about your driving ids that we get to our destination quickly.

"See, going fast has its advantages."Max said getting in the elevator and using the key Logan gave her to get in the penthouse. 

"To you maybe.I have no desire to end my life at this young age."Angela said."And neither should you.We're too young to die."

"Well you gotta live your life."Max said getting out of the elevator and making her way into Logan's apartment calling out."Honey I'm home!"

"Max," Logan said walking up to her."Glad you got here so fast.I need you and Angela to go to the factory on Jensen Street-"

"A factory?"Angela asked."Why do we need to go to a factory for?"

"Because it's not a factory."Logan explained."Out the front it's a factory, but on the inside they manufacture drugs.But these drugs aren't any good.They make the user feel good for a while, but then they die.Only these guys get out of town before that, so there's no one to blame."

"And now they've set up shop here.Planning on making more money and killing a few more people."Max said.

"But you can't let that happen."Logan said."Disable their business and you disable them.Eyes Only will do the rest."

"Fine," Angela said."Let's go and maybe I'll be able to get some sleep tonight."

"Sleep?Where's the fun in that."Max laughed."Alright, we'll go this and we'll be back soon."

"Great," Angela mumbled.

"Be careful."Logan called out.

*****

"God, what an ugly building."Angela said."How can the cops not know that there's something's going down here.I mean just look at the place.That's enough to send my spider sense tingling."

"They probably decided to ignore it."Max responded."Okay, we got in, kick some ass, then go home.Got it?"

"Got it," Angela said.

"And remember Angela, don't use your power unless it's absolutely necessary.Okay?"

"Alright Max, let's get this over with."

The girls went into the factory silently, spying on the enemy before making their move.The others were weak and would be defeated easily, and they were.The girls took them down barely breaking a sweat, and were very pleased with themselves after the job was completed.

"See, told you it would only take a little while."Angela said walking out of the building to Max's bike.

"Yeah, come on, I'll drop you home."

"Going to Logan's again?"Angela asked.Max gave her a look as if to say 'you need to ask?'.

They took off towards home, neither of them noticing the two figures in the shadows.

"She's good," the dark one said.

"They both are."The blonde on responded."Come on, we've got to go to work soon, and we have to tell the others."

TBC

Did you like it?Do you think I should continue?

   [1]: mailto:water_angel_amy@yahoo.com



	2. Meeting Old Friends

PART 2: Meeting Old Friends

**PART 2: Meeting Old Friends**

** **

"Boy's!"Normal said coming out from behind the counter."Glad you're here, and early as well. Go find yourselves a locker and I'll see what I can do about setting you up on your first run."

"Thanx Normal."Sam said walking over to the locker area."This oughta be interesting."He said putting his stuff into one of the cramped lockers at Jam Pony. 

"As opposed to what?"Josh asked sarcastically."A hole in the head?This is going to be boring."

"Don't say that. Give it a chance."Sam said.He and Josh just sat around for a while, while they waited for Normal to set them up on their first run.

"Looking forward to your first day?" Max asked walking up to them."Cause I gotta tell you, this place isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"Don't say that Max, you might scare them away."Sketchy said."Guys this place is fantastic, the people you meet. God, I mean there's nothing like someone slamming the door in your face in the afternoon."

"Now who's the one who's scaring them away."Max said."Grow up Sketchy."

"Ah, our new comrades." Herbal said shaking the boys' hands."I'm Herbal Thought and this man is Sketchy.Pay not attention to him, he doesn't always think before he speaks."

"You got that right," Original Cindy said."This fol never thinks before he speaks.Which is probably why he's always runnin' from somethin'."

"Hey, where's Angela?" Max asked Original Cindy."She usually comes in with you."

"My suga was running a bit late and missed breakfast, so she's gone to get some at that little shop down the road."

"But the food there tastes like shit.Why would she go there when she knows that?"

"Because I was hungry."Angela said hearing the last part of the conversation."I was hungry and I wanted food. Besides I think the foods there's getting better.Either that or I'm loosing my tastebuds."

"Probably the tastebuds thing."Max said."The food in this city tends to do that to people."

"So is there anything new in the world of Jam Pony?" Angela asked. "I mean apart from the new guys, who we've already met."

"You already met them?"Sketchy asked."And here I though I knew something that you didn't."

"That will never happen Sketchy.Because I know everything before everybody. It's a curse."

"I don't know, I'd love to know everything before everybody else.It'd make life interesting."Sketchy responded.

"Alright, I have deliveries.Sam, here's one a Gambor, Josh, one on Belcorn."Normal said tossing the packages to the guys."If you don't know where to go Sam, follow Angela, she's headed that way."

"I am?"Angela said."How interesting that you tell me these things.Well I guess this proves that I don't know everything, because I didn't see that one coming."

"Yes," Normal said."And Josh, follow Max she's kind of going in your direction, she can tell you where to go."

"Thanx Normal." Sam said getting on his bike.

"Check out the dutiful kid."Original Cindy said. "If he tired any harder he'd find himself halfway up Normal's ass."

"That's a lovely mental image at this time in the morning."Angela said going to her bike."Ley's go Sam, time a-wastin'."She took of out of Jam Pony, aware that Sam wasn't too far behind.

"So how long have you worked for Jam Pony?"Sam asked her as they made their way through the traffic that was Seattle.

"A few years."Angela responded."It's not the greatest job in the world, but it gives me something to do, and it uses up energy, which is great for someone like me."

"What do you mean by that?"Sam asked curious.

"I have heaps of energy, and if I just sit around doing nothing, I tend to go a bit insane.I need to get out and do stuff, need to keep busy."

"Well, I'll have to remember that."Sam said smiling at her.

"Maybe you should." Angela said smiling back.She stopped on the side of the road, pointing down the street."You just go down this street and turn left at the end.You can't miss it."

Thanx," Sam said."See you back at work."

"Bye," Angela said riding off.

*****

"Logan you said you've got something on my stuff.What is it?"Max asked walking into the apartment."Come on tell me."

"A few days ago a young male adult had a barcode removed from his neck."Logan began."The last three numbers were 599."

"Zack," Max said to herself."Zack's in Seattle. What tattoo parlour?"

"It's in China town.Bou's.Do you know where that is?"Logan asked her.

"Yeah, I'll find it."Max said beginning to make her way out the door.

"Max wait."Logan said."Don't go alone Max.Take Angela with you at least.And be careful for Christs sake."

"I always am."Max said walking out the door.

*****

"So what exactly are we looking for?"Angela asked as they walking into the room where Zack was staying."I mean besides the fact that it's obvious that two people have been staying here."

"I don't know, stuff."Max said distractedly as she looked through draws."Anything that might tell us why he's here, or why they're here."

"So why don't you have your barcode removed.I mean this Zack guy did, why haven't you tried?"Angela asked as she looked through more draws.

"I tried once.It feels like someone pour acid o you skin after it's been sand blasted.It came back in a couple of weeks. It's etched into our genetic code."

"Kind of like a mole that won't go away."Angela said, then she found a bottle in one of the draws."Well we know that they have seizures like you do."She held up a bottle of Tryptophan.

The bottle was suddenly kicked out of her hand and she felt someone grab her from behind. A hand went over her mouth so she couldn't scream.

Max was held in the same way, but she was able to mutter, "Zack!It's me Max!"The person let her go and she turned around."You?"She said looking at Sam."You're Zack?Why didn't you tell me?"She hugged him.

However the person who was still holding Angela, hadn't let her go.She began to struggle and shout but the sound was muffled against his hand.

Max realised this and released Zack, turning towards Angela she told her captor."Let her go."

Angela was released and she ran behind Max."Okay, does somebody want to fill me in here?I can guess from the hugging that this is Zack, so then, who's he?"

"Zane," he responded.

"Zane," Angela said raising her eyebrows."Another X-5 I take it.And how many more of you are there around here?"

"Almost all of us."Zack told her."We came looking for you Max.We need you to help us."

"Why?"Max asked warily."Why, after all this time separated do you need me now?What happened?"

"Brin was caught."Zack said."Well not really caught, she went back because something was wrong with her, she needed their help, and now we're going to get her back."

"You going to get her back?Go to Manticore?"Max gasped."How do you expect to do that?That's probably what they're waiting for, for someone to get Brin.It'll be walking into a trap."

"We're willing to risk that."Zane said."You know what it's like there.No one deserves that again, especially Brin.We need to get her out of there."

"What are you going to do?Go in there shooting everything that moves, grab Brin and run?You know that won't work."Angela said.

"We know.We've already worked out how to get in and out without being detected.All we need to work out is how to get Brin."Zack explained."They security around her is tight.And there are heaps of security locked doors before where they're keeping her.The codes are changed everyday and we don't know how to get them.

"Logan'll know." Max said,"We can get them from him."

"Eye's Only?"Zack asked."I always knew you'd end up with someone like him.The whole knight in shining armour deal.It was just so you."

Max smiled sarcastically."It's good to know you find me so predictable Zack.And what about you?How's your love life?"

"Non-existent."Zane answered for him."Zack thinks that he needs to look after all of us.Like a baby sitter.He just can't get over the fact that we're all grown up now."

Angela laughed."I know people like that."She gave Max a meaningful look."Sometimes I'm treated like a five-year-old."

"Maybe you're treated that way because you act that way."Max responded over her should as she walked out of the room."Come on, let's go see Logan."


	3. The Plan

PART 3: The Plan

**PART 3: The Plan**

** **

"That's suicide," Logan said after Zack explained their plan to him."You'll get yourselves killed, or caught again.I don't know, you decided which is worse."

"Look, we don't need your opinion on the matter, we just need you to get those codes for us.Or is that too difficult for you to understand?"Zack asked scornfully.

"I can get the codes, I just don't think this is a wise decision.They'll be waiting for you to do something like that.Besides you don't know what they've done to her.They might have done something to make her the perfect solider, turned her against you."

"Logan's right."Max said standing behind him as he was at the computer."We need to at least put more thought into this.Decide what the best plan of action is."

"We don't have time for that."Zack argued."The more time we waste, the less chance there is we can get her back."

"There's not much of a chance now."Angela stated."You guys might be great fighters and stuff, but don't forget that there are others like you.People who are able to do the same things as you.And there are more of them.It's going to be a bit difficult to complete your plan with all of them."

The bell to enter the apartment sounded and Max went to answer it, barely able to contain her excitement."That'll be Zane with the others.She opened the door to see eight faces that were not familiar bit deep down she knew who they were.All she could do was stare at them and they all did the same.

"Max?"One of them whispered."It's me Jondy."

"Jondy?"Max whispered."I missed you so much!"She went and hugged them, and had they been lesser creatures, would have been crushed by the hug.It went the same with the others.Max hugged them all and they went into the other room to talk for a few minutes.

"Am I the only one that feels left out?"Angela asked Logan."Or is the feeling mutual?"

"The feeling's mutual."Logan responded."But this is Max's family.You know how much this means to her.Come on, help me get these codes."

"Oh goodie, homework."Angela said sarcastically."And I thought I'd never have to do that again."

"Just shut up and help me."Logan said smiling tolerantly.

*****

"So Max, what have you been doing for the past ten years?"Jondy asked her as she looked around Logan's apartment.

"Nothing much, just laying low mostly.What about you guys?"Max knew that they were all just making small talk, as if they were trying to avoid the inevitable, talking about Brin.

"Same as you."Jondy responded."So this place is nice, and so's the guy.Your boyfriend?"

"Yep," Max said smiling proudly."He's really nice, you'll like him."

"And who's the chick?"Krit asked raising his eyebrows.

"Angela."

"Okay, there's one thing I don't understand."Zane started."I can understand why you work with Logan, he's Eyes Only, but what's Angela got to do with the situation?"

"Well she's-" Max started.

"Going to kill you if you say anything else."Angela said from the doorway smiling brilliantly."So just keep your mouth shut Max.Anyway, Logan's found something he thinks you all should see."

"What is it Logan?"Max walked up to stand behind him so she could see the computer screen."

"It looks like I was partially right."Logan stated."Brin was caught for a reason, and are all of you.Brin's going to be sold for soldier to the Middle East.Her's and all of your genetic codes are worth millions."

"But Brin wouldn't do that."Syl argued."She would never be somebodies puppet."She's not like that."

"She would be if that was what she thought she was."Angela said.Everyone turned to look at her for an explanation, even Logan.

"What do you mean by that?"Zack asked curious.

"She could have been brainwashed.It's not impossible, and it can be reversed, but it takes time."Angela began. "What they do is put the person in a deep sleep then give them mental images of what they want.If they wanted the person to believe that they were rich and famous, that would happen.If they wanted to turn someone against all their friends then that would happen."

"How do you know all of this?"Zack asked.

Angela shrugged."I just do.The point is, when you find Brin be very careful, she might have all her memories, but she would be under their control, so watch what you say to her."

"That still doesn't explain how you know all of this."Zane insisted."I mean, that isn't exactly common knowledge.I want to know how someone like you knows all of that." 

Max was looking at Angela with understanding in her eyes."It doesn't matter how she knows it, at least we know now, and we can watch out for it."She saw Angela smile gratefully back at her.

Zack saw that and decided to keep that piece of information to himself for the time being."You said it's difficult to bring the person back, we want her back so how do we do it?"

"It's not just difficult, it can sometimes be nearly impossible.The person needs to have a really strong will, and she'll need to be constantly reminded of who she really is.And then when she does remember she'll need you all there because when she finds out she might go insane."

"Insane!"Krit exclaimed."Why would she go insane?"

"Because she'll have different things going through her head, it'll really confuse her and might be too much for her to handle.But from what I've heard from Max you guys were taught to be strong of mind as well as of body, so there's a very high chance that she'll be okay."

"Well, that's good news."Logan said turning back to the computer."You guys said that the codes for the security doors are changed every day.Well you were partially right, they are changed every day, but the codes are the same."

"How do you mean?"Max asked frowning.

"Every Monday it's the same codes, every Tuesday, same code.The codes change with the days, but when the day repeats, they use the same code."

"Okay, what you said didn't make much sense but I think we all understand."Ben said and the others nodded.

"So what day did you want to go get Brin?"Logan asked typing away on the computer.

"As soon as possible."Zack answered."The sooner she's back the sooner we can get out of here, away from Manticore."

"Tomorrow then."Max said."That's Saturday, it'll work, we'll go at night.Logan get the code for the doors and we'll all get ready."

"Have fun," Angela said rasing a glass in toast.

"What do you think you're talking about?"Max said."You're coming with us."

Angela's shoulders slumped."Do I have to?I mean that really isn't something I want to do, get in a big old fight that'll probably get me killed."

Logan almost choked on his drink."I didn't think people like you could die."He said before Angela could shut him up.She gave him a glare that might have killed him if she tried.

"Well we can," Angela responded."And stop referring to me as some thing.It's really annoying."

"What people?"Zack asked."How is she not able to die?What is she?"

"Oh, I'm able to die, I'm just very stubborn and won't.But as for your other questions I'm perfectly normal."Angela said, and stepped hard on Logan's foot."Now if you'll excuse me I have some things to do."

"Be back soon," Max called after her."We need to talk about tomorrow." Angela just waved her arm in consent and walked out the door.

"What's all that about?"Jondy asked Max.

"It's a long story."Max said.

"I'll be back."Zack said getting his jacket and following Angela.

"Zack, don't be too hard on her."Jondy called as he too went out the door.

"What do you mean by that?"Max asked Jondy a bit worried for her friend.

*****

Angela walked down the dark streets of Seattle knowing that it wasn't the safest thing on the world to do, but she needed time to herself.Talking to the others about Brin had brought up memories that she wanted to keep buried.She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even notice when Zack came to walk beside her.

"You know I could have killed you by now."Zack said and watched and she jumped and looked accusingly at him.

"Yeah, but why would you want to?"Angela said and kept walking."Why are you here Zack?I know you're not just enjoying the nice weather we're having."

That was certainly true, because it was freezing outside."I just wanted to talk."

"Oh, really?Somehow I don't believe that."

Zack took hold of her arm and stopped, forcing her to stop too."You're right.I want to know what you were talking about back there.How you know all of that stuff that could be happening to Brin."

"It's not as uncommon as you think."Angela answered looking at the sky."It's just that the use of it never gets out because then think of what could happen if every common thug knew how to use it."

"That still doesn't explain how you know about it."

"Because it happened to someone I knew."Angela answered still not looking at him."She was put to sleep and told all of these things, when she tried to fight it, it got bad for her.All these different things were going through her mind and she wasn't able to handle it."

"So she went insane."Zack stated quietly.

Angela nodded, but didn't say anything for a while."I don't know what happened to her after that.I don't even know if she's still alive."

"I know what that's like."Zack said."After we all got out I didn't know what happened to the others.Who got out who didn't, if any of them died.It was hell, but eventually I found them all and I've been watching over them ever since."

Angela laughed."It sounds like Zane was right.You treat them like little kids."

"They're my brothers and sisters.I couldn't stand it if anything happened to them that I couldn't prevent."

"But you can't always prevent things."Angela said softy."Look what happened to Brin, you couldn't stop that, it happened.But you can rectify that, you're going to get her back,"

"I know, but who knows what else could happen in the mean time."

"Nothing while I'm around."Angela said smiling."I mean look at me and Max, all the shit we've been in, but has anything really bad ever happened to us?No.So you see you're safe in my hands."

"That's good to know," Zack smiled back at her.

"Come on, let's go back to Logan's, it's freezing out here."

"Oh, you just noticed that?"Zack laughed.

"Not so fast kiddies."A dark voice said from behind them.They both turned around to see three beefy, but muscly guys standing there.How about you give us all your money first."

"How 'bout you jump off the nearest space needle?"Angela said sweetly, her body tensing, getting ready for a fight she knew she could easily win.

"Some mouth on you girl, but I'm sire I can find other uses for it though."A different guy said and he and him friends laughed crudely. 

"If you want it, come and get it."Angela said stepping way from Zack.

"But you're not going to get it."Zack said smiling cruelly.After what had been happening lately he was looking for a good fight.

"Oh we will."Another one said. "Don't worry."

"I won't," Angela shrugged.And the fight was on.Two guys went for Zack and the other for Angela.Zack took the first one down easily with a snap kick to his head, and circled the other, who pulled a knife out of his sleave.Angela was having no difficulty what so ever.She was actually enjoying herself.Whenever the guy would come at her she would just jump out of the way and kick him in the butt.Meanwhile Zack had knocked out the other guy and turned to see if Angela needed any help.She didn't.She was even verbally abusing the guy.

"Do you really think you could get me if you tried?Please, you're pathetic.A looser, who couldn't get a girl if one fell right in your lap."Angela saw the guys face turn red with rage and he charged at her.She herself had had enough fun and decided to end it here.She flipped over him when he charged and as she came down from her flip she kicked him hard in the back, sending him headfirst into a wall.Hard.She ended her flip in a roll, coming to stand gracefully on her feet.

"Impressive."Zack said, admiring her moves.

"I did gymnastics."Angela explained.

"That's not all."

Angela laughed."Not it's not, but sometimes it's enough.Now lets go back to Logan's for real this time."As she turned around she ran into Zack and almost fell over.As it was, she would have if he had not caught her.They stared deep into eachother eyes before Zack brought his lips to hers for a long kiss.

They were both deeply involved in the kiss, not noticing the world around them.Zack backed Angela into the wall, keeping her there with he body so his hands were free to roam.Angela placed her hands on the back of his neck, keeping his mouth on hers and his hands wondered over her stomach and upwards.

They both jerked away suddenly when they heard a gunshot far away.They were both breathing heavily in the cold night air, then Angela smiled."Well, that was different."

"Yeah," Zack said."Come on let's go."He took her hand and led her back to Logan's apartment.

*****

"What took you guys so long?"Max asked as they walked through the door of the apartment.Angela looked a bit flushed and her eyes were glowing, but Max knew that the night did that to her.

"We ran into a few would-be muggers, no big dealio."Angela answered smiling wickedly."It was very entertaining."She hot knuckles with Max, their little victory thing.

"It doesn't matter."Zack said getting to business."We need to talk about our plan of action.We'll all go in together but when we come out we'll spilt up in two's."

"Spilt up?"Max asked confused."You just get us all back together, and now you're telling us to spilt up again."

"It won't be for long.It's just a precaution, in case we get caught, we're not all together."Zack answered, and Max nodded."Alright we go in quietly.Not a sound at all.You see anybody you take care of them and dispose of the body.The groups are; Krit with Tinga.Zane with Syl.Ben with Jondy.Max you'll get Brin and I'll be with Angela.Any questions?"

"Yeah I have one."Logan said."If Brin's been turned somehow, how do you expect Max to be able to handle her?"

"I'll knock her out, no matter what, even if I think it's really her."Max answered.

"And if we're being chased, we'll lead them away from Max, give her time to get away."Zack answered."We've got everything covered."

"And Angela-" Max started.

"Not unless it's absolutely necessary."Angela responded rolling her eyes."I know, Max you tell me this every time we go out to do something.Because I slip up once doesn't mean it'll happen again.Besides it was new then."

"I know Angela."Max responded."But if these guys find out, you'd be hunted just like us, do you want that?"

"I won't let it happen Max."Angela said softly."Don't worry about me, I'm a big girl now."

Zane was looking between the two girls, confused."Okay there you go again.That's just freaky man, tell us what you're talking about."

"I will when hell freezes over.Now I'm going to get some sleep while I've got the chance.You should all do the same.Goodnight."Angela walked out of the room, to enter one of the many guest rooms in Logan's apartment.

"Angela's right."Logan said."You are going to be using a lot of energy tomorrow, you need to rest now.There are three guestrooms; you can work out the details.'Night."

"Night Logan."Max said."I'll be in soon."

TBC


	4. Executing the Plan

PART 4: Executing the Plan

**PART 4: Executing the Plan**

** **

"Remember everything they taught us."Zack said standing in front of the others."We'll be able to use that against them."He turned around and reached into the bag behind him, he pulled out a gun for each of them.When he went to hand on to Max she backed away from him, raising her hands."What's wrong?"

Max had a far away look on her face as she remembered Eva getting shot because she was trying to protect her."Sorry Zack, I don't do guns."

Zack looked shocked."After everything we were taught, you won't take a gun."

"Just a rule,"

Zack turned to Angela, "And I suppose you don't want one either."

Angela smiled and shook her head."I've never had a need for one.I get along great without it, so I'll manage."

Zack just shook his head and handed the extra guns to the others,"Alright before we go, are there anymore questions?"When no one spoke up he continued on, "Okay then, let's get the over with."

*****

It took them about an hour to reach Manticore.It looked as it always had, dark and forbidding, Zack thought.This would not be a place he wanted to be for the rest of his life.He was glad that they were getting Brin out, even if she thought this was the right place for her.He was going to get her out.Zack made hand signals telling the others what to do, and they got inside with minimal worry.

The security doors were easy to get through, the codes Logan had given them were correct.They all crept down the corridors, knowing where to go so the cameras wouldn't see them.Brin's room was at the end of the corridor and another code was required to open her door.Zack typed it in and heard the lock click.He nodded to the others and entered before them.

Brin was fast asleep on her bed, not looking like anything seriously damaging had happened to her.At least on the surface, Zack thought.He waved the others in and Max took out a needle and filled it.She then injected it into Brin's arm, and you could visibly see her relax more.

"Sweet dreams." Max whispered.

Just then an alarm sounded and they all looked towards the door and down the hallway, it was empty for the moment but wouldn't be for long.Zack turned to the others."Tinga. Krit, change of plans, you go with Max and help her with Brin.Let's go people."

They ran down the hallway and split off in different directions.Angela was following Zack, realising that he was taking a risk in being with her, because he had to keep at her speed, not go as fast as he was able.They turned a corner to see two soldiers with guns running towards them.Without breaking his stride, Zack shot both of them and continued running, opening a door that led out into the open.

They had obviously come out the backdoor of Manticore, trees surrounded them.Zack ran into the forest, avoiding gunfire and Angela followed, doing the same.Zack stumbled once but continued on.Angela just figured he tripped over something.She heard the sound of footsteps running behind her but she ignored it, putting all of her energy into getting out of there.So Angela followed Zack, trusting him to the fullest because he had done this before and knew where he was going.The footsteps behind them seemed to be getting closer, or maybe I'm just hearing things, Angela thought to herself.

She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she almost missed seeing Zack turn suddenly and go behind some bushes.She followed him and noticed that it was a cave.Angela was breathing heavily as she heard the footsteps stop outside the cave and Zack put him hand over her mouth to quieten her, the footsteps moved on and she relaxed more, that was when she noticed something slippery on her hands.She looked down to see her hands covered in blood and had flashback of seeing Zack stumble.She sun around and looked him in the eyes, her's frantic with worry."You're shot!Where?"

"It's nothing," Zack grimaced."Just a scratch."

"How many times do you hear that, when the person's really bleeding to death.Take off you're shirt."Angela demanded.

"I didn't think we were ready for that, but hey if it's what you want."Zack said trying to make light if the situation, but he took off his shirt anyway.

"Very funny," Angela remarked checking the wound on his side."You're lucky, the bullets not in you, but you lost a chunk of flesh.It's not a pretty site."

"That's making me feel heaps better Angela."Zack winced every time she poked his wound."You know that hurts?"

"Really?Well we're not going anywhere for a little while, so why don't you get some rest.We should be relatively safe here."

"No," Zack said trying to get up but was unsuccessful."We need to keep moving, get away from here as fast as possible."

"No," Angela said firmly, pushing him down on his back."You need to rest Zack, you wouldn't last 10 minutes out there, you're too weak.Rest and we'll move on in the morning.Go to sleep or I'll knock you out to get you to sleep."

"I'll stay up for a little while longer." Zack said but his eyelids are already drooping.

Angela smiled at him, it seemed that he was always looking after other people, but no one looked after him.As he slept Angela looked around the cave they were in.It seemed like it was man-made, with the way the walls were perfectly flat, there were natural outcrops to form seats.But Angela knew that no man could ever make anything like this.Ever.

Angela felt her own eyelids drooping.She hadn't slept well the night before and all the running had taken a lot out of her.She tried, she really tried to stay awake for as long as she could, but it wasn't too long before she lay down next to Zack and went to sleep.

*****

Angela didn't know how long she had slept for, but it couldn't have been long because she felt awful and something was poking her in the back.She tried to pat it away but a voice hissed at her, "Don't move!"

Angela froze and guilt came upon her fast.Because she had fallen asleep she hadn't seen the man enter the cave.She slowly turned so she could see the man holding the gun on her."I said don't move!I know what your kinds like.Tricky, but you won't trick me."

Angela could tell that this guy was really wired; because he had found them he thought he was in control.Well, he wasn't and Angela was going to prove it.She slowly got to her feet, kept her hands raised so he could see that she wasn't going to try anything."I won't do anything tricky.So you found us, you must be proud of yourself."

The guy licked his lips, practically bouncing from one foot to the other."Yeah I found two X-5's.When Lydecker gets here he'll take you two and probably give me a promotion.I found you first not anybody else."He reached for the radio at his belt, intending to tell the others where they were.

"Wait!"Angela cried, the guys head snapped up and he trained his gun on her more."I think there's something you should know about me before you decide to take us back to Manticore."

"And what is that?"

Angela's eyes grew cold and she lowered her arms."I'm not an X-5."She threw one of her hands out and the guy was thrown back by an unseen force, into the wall.Angela heard something snap and went over to him.His neck was broken.She quickly went to check on Zack, deciding he would sleep for a few more hours, and went back to the body.She couldn't drag it out of there because that would leave marks.She went outside to look around, seeing that the coast was clear she went back to the body and lifted it with her mind.She carried it outside the cave and when she was about 50 feet away she hurled it about another 200 feet away.Angela stumbled back to the cave exhausted.She hadn't used her power in such a long time, that now it was a trial to use.She sat down on the floor, now determined to stay awake until Zack was ready to go.

*****

Zack woke up about two hours later and did look better.He looked over to where Angela was sitting against the wall and got up to go over to her.He had thought that she was asleep but she was just staring at the entrance to the cave."Come on, we have to go now."He moved a bit stiffly to the cave entrance.His wound still hurt, but one advantage to being a X05 was that they healed rapidly.

Angela got up and followed Zack without a word.They moved through the forest quietly, hiding when they heard the Manticore soldiers, and changing directions when they saw them.Because of this slow process it took them three hour just to get to civilised area and another hour to get back to Logan's.

"What took you so long?"Max demanded as they walked through the door.She had been worried sick about them after all but them had arrived at Logan's.She had been about to go out and get them herself, but Jondy stopped her.

"We had to stop for a little while," Angela said moving towards one of the guest bedrooms."Zack was hurt, you should take care of it.I'm going for a shower."

Max looked after her strangely then said to the others."Look after Zack, I need to talk to Angela."She walked into the bedroom to see Angela lying on the bed with her eyes closed."What happened?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle."Angela said without opening her eyes.

Max's eyes widened in comprehension."You used your powers?How many times have I told you not to do that?It's dangerous.Do you even know how many people saw you?"

Angela came off the bed fast, and stood right in front of Max.Because they were the same height they were eye-to-eye."I didn't have a choice.We were in a cave and had both fallen asleep, when I woke up something was poking me in the back.It was a gun.I reacted and threw the guy across the room, it broke his neck.There was no one else there to see it."

"What did you do with the body?"Max asked.

"I took it out and threw it about 200 feet away.And before you ask, I checked before I did it, don't worry."

Max nodded approvingly."Well I'll let you get back to your shower or whatever."

"Thanx," Angela said falling back on the bed, and falling asleep almost immediately.

"Is she alright?"Logan asked as Max came out of the bedroom, closing the door softy behind her.

"I think so, she's just tired."Max said walking back into the other room and walking up to Zack."What happened out there?"

Zack winced as Syl poked a tender spot on his wound."We were running, dodging bullets, I didn't dodge one quick enough.I was getting weak and wouldn't have made it back without them finding us.I remembered a cave I hid in after the first escape, so we went there.I passed out not too long afterward and when I woke up Angela was different, she seemed quieter."

"So you didn't see what happened?" Max demanded of him.

Zack looked at her inquiringly."No, why?What happened?"He was the one demanding now."What happened Max?Why is she different?"

"Don't worry Zack, it's nothing she can't handle."Max said."Do you want to see Brin?"

"In a minute."He said getting up off the table."I'm just going to check on Angela.See if she's alright."

The others looked after him strangely."That's a bit weird." Jondy commented."He's never done that before."

Max smiled."Angela has that affect on people."

Zack walked into the room where Angela was.She was lying peacefully on the bed with her hair spread like a fan across the pillow."What have you done to make Max so worried about you?"He said softly stroking her cheek.She unconsciously turned her face into his hand and murmured something he couldn't make out."And to make me worry.But I'll find out soon."He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, and walked out of the room to see Brin."How is she?"He asked Max as he walked into yet another guest room. 

They had tied Brin to the bed, so she couldn't get away."She should be waking up soon, the stuff we gave her was really strong."Max responded. 

As if she had heard her words, Brin began to stir, and she opened her eyes.As soon as she realised where she was, she began to thrash around on the bed, trying to get loose.

"It's no use Brin," Max said softly."You can't get free, and we're not going to let you until we have you back."

"Back to what?"Brin hissed."Back to being weak?Having to run all the time?No thankyou, I like the way I am."

"But that's not you!"Tinga cried."Think Brin!This isn't you, they made you this way.Made you think this is what you always were.But you aren't like this.You never were.Remember when you used to tell us what you were going to do when you got out of Manticore?You were going to write books, a job where no one would be able to know who you really were, because they would never have to see you.Don't you remember that?"

Brin's eyes flickered for a moment and they all saw the Brin they used to know, then they went back to the way they were before."No!You guys are the one's that don't understand.Manticore restored me to what I am, a solider, I'm happy this way.You guys would be too; we can go back there all together.I'll be like old times."

"Nothing'll be like old times, Brin."Max said."Manticore is a prison, you know that, all we have to do is remind you of it.You were brainwashed, they made you believe all the stuff that's going on in you head, but we'll help you through it."

"There's nothing for me to get through."Brin commented.

"That's what you think."Max said."Let's leave her some time to think."

"Do you think we'll be able to get her back?"Syl asked, worried for her friend.

"I think so, she just needs time."Max said."I think we all need some rest.It's been a long day.I'll stay up with Brin for now, and get someone in a while."

"Are you sure?"Zack asked."I can take the first watch if you want."

"I'll be fine Zack, you get some rest on a bed.You look like you need it."

"Thanx."Zack grunted following his brothers and sisters.

"No problem," Max grinned, then went to watch Brin.

*****

Angela woke up to a quiet house.Everyone's probably fallen asleep, she thought.Her mouth was dry and felt like she had slept with a piece of cotton in it.As she walked to the kitchen she saw one of the lights to the bedrooms on, she walked in to see Brin and Max in the middle of a staring competition."Hope I'm not interrupting anything."She commented dryly.

"You're not," Max said."But can you watch her till morning?"For like the third time in my life I'm tired.I figure I can catch a few z's before dawn."

"Sure, no problem.Anything I should look out for?"

Max shook her head."The ties are secure, but if you think you need any help, just call one of us, we'll be here for you.Goodnight."

"Night," Angela said smiling after Max.She sat in the chair Max had just vacated and looked at the X-5 across from her."So how do you like it so far?"

"Look if you let me out of here, I'll make sure you're set up, you know nice house, car, money, wouldn't you like that?"Brin said her eyes sincere.

"I already have that.Or something close to it.Look around you."Angela said waving to the atmosphere they were in."I have everything I need."

"Do you?"Brin asked her eyes narrowing."This isn't yours, it's Max's boyfriends.What happens when they don't want you anymore?"

"Don't even try that shit on me, Brin.I know what you're doing, what you've been taught.It's not going to work so you may as well shut up."

Brin sighed and relaxed more on the bed, she wasn't going to get anywhere with her, so she decided to go for a bit of information instead."So what's your name, I mean, you know mine, I feel at a distinct disadvantage here not knowing yours."

"Angela,"

"Angela, nice name.So how did you get yourself mixed up with my brothers and sisters?"

"You could say I fell into it."Angela said smiling."But enough about me, how are you feeling?Remembering anything important?"

"God, you're on about this thing too?I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yes you do.You feel it inside of you; it's like a hole that can't be filled.Answers that'll never get answered. You know why that is? Because you're denying who you are.You can remember everything, but when you want to call upon a memory, it's not there.You don't know why, but you don't question it.Now do you think I know what I'm talking about?"

Brin looked at her shocked, that was exactly was she was feeling like."How do you know that?How can you know that?"

Angela shrugged."I just do.Now we can help you make that go away.Bring you back to what you really are, isn't that what you want?"

Brin was thinking, or at least she was trying to, her mind felt like it was on fire, so many different things were going on, and it was hurting so much."I don't know what to do.Everything's so confusing at the moment.It's all so jumbled up, I don't know what's right and what's wrong."

Angela smiled sympathetically at her."I know, but everything'll be okay soon.Besides, you seem like a pretty cool chick, and at the moment I need someone like that around."

Brin laughed."I know, they can be like that sometimes.I remember one time-" she stopped and her eyes widened.

Angela laughed too, "It looks like your real memory's coming back.Why don't you tell me more about you X-5's?"

So Brin did, they talked the whole night about her and the other X-5's, about all the things she remembered, and most of all what Manticore is up to at the moment.Oh, and about Zack.


	5. Revelations

PART 5: Revelations

**PART 5: Revelations**

Max woke up the next morning to hear the sound of laughter coming from the room where they were keeping Brin.She ran into the room to see Brin and Angela lying on the bed laughing their asses off."What is going on here!"She had to yell over all the noise they were making.

"Brin was just telling me about you guys at Manticore, and some of the dumb stuff you did."Angela and Brin looked at eachother and broke into laughter again.

Max looked at the two rolling on the bed and smiled.It was obvious that Brin had gotten her memory back, and she wasn't insane, so that was a good sign.All of the other X-5's and Logan ran into the room to see what all the commotion was about.

"Why is Brin untied?"Zack demanded before he really took notice of what was going on."Okay scratch that last question and I'll a ask a new one.Why are rolling around on the bed laughing?"

"Because Brin has remembered a few funny stories about us, and she's told Angela."

"So Brin has her memory back?"Tinga asked excited.

"Yeah I do," Brin said wiping tears from her eyes."How are all you guys?Good I hope.You didn't get hurt when you got me out did you?"

Zack smiled at her."We're good baby sister.How're you feeling?"

"Good, all things considered, but hey, we've got heaps of catching up to do.How about breakfast?"Brin was the youngest of the group and was always the most enthusiastic, always wanting to play some sort of game.

"Wait a minute," Krit said shaking his head."Angela said that it took a while for a person to recover from the mind control thing, and that it was hard for them to remember.So how is Brin better?Not that I'm complaining for anything, it's just a bit strange."

Angela shrugged."It shocked me too, but from what I can guess, it's either because of who you guys are, your genes or something, or the control wasn't completed.It usually takes a long time to get someone fully under control.They obliviously didn't finish it."

"But hey, that's a good thing, because Brin didn't go insane."Syl said going up to hug her sister."And I think that's a plus."

"Definitely."Max said hugging Brin as well.

"You know I really was serious about breakfast, I'm really hungry."Brin said and all of them laughed, and went into the kitchen to get something to eat.

"Logan," Angela said."I'm just going home to get a few things, I'll be back soon."

"Sure," Logan said and followed his girlfriend into the kitchen.

Angela smiled and made her way home.She arrived just as Original Cindy was waking up."Hey Original Cindy.Have a good night?"

"Depends on your point of view.I met a nice likety chick last, I man she was da bomb.So I make my move, and I tell you girl, Original Cindy was on last night.Shoulda seen it.So my girl and I are getting closer, you know physically, we have some fun, then sister-girl drops she go both ways."

"And?"Angela prompted.

"Hey, I can live with bisexual, it ain't perfect, but at least she halfway there.So anyway, how your thing go boo?You and Max aiight?"

"Yeah, we're fine, everything went good.Like clockwork.That's how obsessive this guy Zack is, but god, what a body."

"Zack?"Original Cindy raised her eyebrows.

"Sam, from Jam Pony is actually like Max, him and that other guy.But you know when you said he had a good body, well you haven't seen it without the shirt."

"Biteable?"

"Absolutely," Angela responded rolling her eyes at the memory."Thought I would pass out, but hey, I didn't and I got a nice view for my efforts."

"I'm sure you did."Original Cindy said."So what do you need here?"

"Just a few things, I think they'll help Brin.Anyway see you at work."Angela said walking out the door, and going back to Logan's apartment.When the elevator doors opened Zack was standing right in front of it and Angela jumped about three feet."My god!Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Where did you go?"Zack asked not answering her question.

"I had to pick up a few things from home, is that okay with you?How's Brin by the way?"

"She's fine," Zack took her elbow and led her into the guestroom she had been in the night before."We need to talk." 

"What about?"Angela asked.

"About whatever happened when I was unconscious in the cave."

"What do you think happened?"Angela asked warily. 

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking you.All I know is when I woke up you were different.Why?"

"Look it doesn't matter what happened, it's over and there's nothing you or I can do to change it, so don't worry about it anymore."Angela said trying to walk out the door but Zack blocked her way.

"It's you I'm worried about.Whatever happened has changed you somehow, and I want to know."Zack demanded.

Angela smiled touched at his concern."Zack there's nothing for you to worry about, I'll be fine."

"How can I be sure?Whatever happened seemed to have screwed you up pretty bad, how do I know that won't happen again?"

"You don't, but I don't need you to worry about me, I already have enough people to do that."

When Zack just stood there waiting for an explanation, Angela sighed."Look, there was a situation I had to handle, I didn't handle it quite the way I would have liked to, but there's nothing I could do about it, I had to do it that way.Are you happy now?"

Zack frowned, "You just made it even more cryptic.Does this have to do with whatever you and Max won't talk about in front of other people?"

Angela nodded."There are just something's I like to keep secret."

"But who am I going to tell?"Zack asked smiling engagingly at her."I've got a secret of my own, why would I tell yours?"

"Because you might not have a choice in the matter."Angela said looking up at him.He was standing so close to her that she could smell his aftershave, it smelled like the woods, which wasn't a bad thing; it was actually kind of intoxicating.She shook her head to clear the thoughts that were there and stepped away from Zack.But he caught her hand and pulled her back so that they were standing, _very_ close together."I just don't want to put you in that situation."

"What if I want to be there? Tell me Angela."Zack implored looking deep into her eyes.

Angela looked away but Zack placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her face up to meet his.Looking into her eyes he lowered his lips to hers.This kiss wasn't anything like the last one, this was tender, loving.Zack moved away from the door to the bed and laid her down on it, then lowered his body on top of hers.Angela gasped as Zack's full weight came upon her and his mouth moved from hers to her neck, sucking softly on the skin there.Satisfied when he left his mark there he went back to her mouth and attacked it with ferocity.Angela returned the kiss with all she had, arching her body up into his as his hands wondered over her stomach and up here top.His hands rubbed her breasts gently and he drew back to remove her top, it ended up across the room on a chair.Happy now, he resumed what he was doing.

Angela barely noticed her shirt going across the room or how she managed to get his shirt off, but hey, she really didn't care at the moment.Just as Zack was reaching for the clasp on her bra someone knocked on the door and called out, "Are you guys alright?You've been in there a while."It was Max's voice.

Zack groaned and buried his face in Angela's neck."I think I'm going to have to kill her."

"We're fine Max, we were just…talking, be out in a sec."Angela responded since Zack didn't say anything else and hadn't gotten up from on top of her."Zack you need to get up."Angela whispered.

"Don't wanna," He said sounding very much like a little boy whose favourite toy was just taken away.

"You might not want to, but you have to."Angela said."What if someone comes in here?You're not wearing a shirt and neither am I. Those are just questions I don't want to answer at the moment."

"You're right," Zack said getting up and retrieving their shirts.He went to open the door, but turned around to look at her.Angela's shirt didn't hide the hickey he had given her, but she didn't know that, he smiled secretly.Zack opened the door to see Max's confused face."We'll finish this conversation later."He nodded to Angel, then passed Max as if he was on a daily stroll.

"Yeah, okay," Angela responded a little shaky.

Max too one look at Angela's face, then her neck and dragged her back into the room."What happened?"She demanded.

"Nothing," Angela denied."We were just talking."

"Really?Then why do you have a hickey on your neck?"

Angela paled, touched her next then ran into the bathroom.Max just waited for her to come out before she said anything."So?"

"We were just kissing."Max raised her eyebrows."Fine so there was a bit more than kissing."

"I'll bet," Max said, then shuddered. "I'm sorry, but just thinking about Zack doing that creeps me out.He's my brother."

"Well he's not mine."Angela smiled wickedly, then pulled the shirt up to cover the hickey."Don't we have something else to do?"She asked Max in an obvious change of topic.

"Probably not."Max said smiling.

"Well then I'm going to do a little research."Angela said walking out of the room and into the kitchen to find Logan."Hey Logan is it alright if I use your computer to do a few things?"

"What for?"Logan was in the process of making pancakes for all the X-5's.

"I just want to check something out."

"Sure," Logan said resuming his cooking.

Zack watched Angela walk out of the room and noticed that she had pulled her shirt up to cover his mark.Max must have seen it and said something to her, he thought to himself.He looked over to Max and noticed her staring at him strangely, when their eyes met, he saw a flash of warning there and he didn't need anyone to tell him what that meant.If he hurt Angela, Max would kick his ass.

Angela walked into Logan's computer room, shutting the door behind her.She sat behind the computer and hacked into the Manticore files.She didn't know what she was looking for, but somehow she knew where to go, which files to access.She was in the files where all the information of all the Manticore creations were kept.She was going through all this stuff so fast, instinctively knowing where to go.She was now in the X5's files.There was Max's, Zack's, Zane, Tinga, Jondy and more, but it was the last one she was looking for.All of the files contained pictures of them.Angela clicked to open the file on X5-385.

There in the file was a picture of her ex-boyfriend, Alec.She sat there in shock, just staring at the screen.She then got up and walked, very calmly into the kitchen and called Max to go to the computer with her.

"Does he look familiar?"Angela asked pointing to the screen.

"That's Alec isn't it?The obsessed ex-boyfriend."Max responded confused.

"Yep, look where the file comes from."

Max looked and gasped."Manticore.Alec was Manticore?"

"One of the X5's that didn't escape.So if he didn't escape, what was he doing in Seattle?Why was he so obsessed with me?"Angela demanded, sitting back down at the computer.

"I don't know, I'll get Logan, maybe he can make some sense out of some of this."Max said going back to the kitchen."Logan can you come and look at something for a sec?"

Logan saw the look on Max's face and immediately followed her.

"Is everything alright?"Brin asked, her mouth full of pancakes.

Max smiled at her youngest sister."Everything's fine, just computer term that we don't get, you guys stay here."She went back to the computer room to see that Logan was looking at the screen frowning. 

"You dated this guy?"Logan said pointing at the screen.

"Yeah I did.You met him Logan, heaps of times."Angela responded.

"And you never noticed that he had a barcode on the back of his neck?"Logan said going over the contents of the screen.

Angela shook her head."No, his hair must have covered it, or it was removed.I don't know, I just want to know what he was doing in Seattle."

"What I want to know is how you got in here."Logan said to himself.He clicked on a button say 'projects'."This should tell us."The screen changed and a long list of projects came up."Well it looks like Alec was in on a lot of stuff."He scrolled down the page to find Seattle."Here it is.It seems he was looking for someone, a girl, brown hair to the waist and green eyes."Logan didn't see Angela's eyes widen."Here's a picture."The picture was of Angela.

"Oh my god," Max whispered her hand going to her mouth.

Angela just stared at the screen for a little while."Find out what he wanted."She demanded.

Logan clicked on 'details'."He was supposed to take you to Manticore.It doesn't say why, he was just meant to bring you there.There's a file on you as well.It's got your birth date, parents, what you've done for the past eighteen years."

"Before I broke up with him we were going to go away for the weekend.He said he had a cabin in the woods.Said it would be romantic.Good thing I broke up with him or I'd be a Manticore right now."Angela said calmly, too calmly.

"You're taking this a little too well, Angela."Max said worried for her friend.

"What else is there?"Angela demanded.

"Nothing, that's it," Logan said."It doesn't say why they wanted you, this is all there is."

"Well there has to be more.Find it!"Angela yelled."Find it Logan!"

The other X5's hearing Angela yelling came running into the room.

"What going on?"Zack demanded, walking up to Angela and putting an arm around her shoulder.

"There's nothing else Angela.This is all there is, if there's anymore it's in more secure files."Logan said calmly.

"Then I'll find them, I got this far I'll find the files."Angela said pulling away from Zack, and pushing Logan away from the computer.

"And what do you want to find Angela?Will that answer your questions?"Logan demanded."This won't work.I don't know how you got this far, but you won't find those files Angela, they wouldn't let you."

"Then why would they let me get this far?"Angela demanded."Why does Manticore have files on me?Why was someone sent to take me there?WHY!!"

Dead silence followed Angela's exclamation."What?"Zack demanded."What is she talking about Max?"

"Manticore has a file on her."Max responded."According to these records a guy was sent to take Angela to Manticore.She dated him for almost a year before she broke it off.That weekend they were meant to go to his cabin."

"And let me guess his 'cabin' was going to be Manticore."Zack said disgusted.

"Yeah," Max said.

Angela was still at the computer trying to get to the files, but having no success.But something else happened, the screen suddenly changed and Alec's face appeared there.

"So you found this."Alec said to Angela."You found it sooner than I thought you would, good for you baby.I suppose this really confuses you, but don't worry, everything'll make sense when we come and get you."

"No you won't."Angela hissed.

"Yes we will."Alec smiled, then looked at the people gathered behind Angela."Good work you guys, getting Brin out.Couldn't have done it better myself.But enough of this, just wanted to say hello baby, see you soon."The screen went blank and they were left staring at a different file.A file that said what was going to be done with Angela.


	6. Time to Hide

**PART 6: Time to Hide**

"I'm meant to be his breeding partner?"  Angela commented shocked as she looked at the computer screen.  "Why me?"

"Did Alec ever find out?"  Max asked her.

"No, and what would it matter if her had, according to this I've been a target for a long time.  They know my whole life, my parents.  Everything."

"They know your parents?"  Max asked frowning.  "But you don't know who your father is, so how could they?"

"Max is right."  Logan said going back to the computer and back to the file on Angela.  "According to this you father was X1-826 otherwise known as Tyler.  Do you guys know anything about the X1's?"

"A little," Zack said.  "They were the first, kind of like test runs.  I heard stuff about them, they were meant to be the greatest, only there were too many problems with them, had to be fixed all the time.  They were all about twenty years older than us."

"Is that all?"  Angela asked him.  "This is my father we're talking about, is that all you heard?"

Zack nodded.  "They didn't talk much about the other's.  It was like we weren't meant to know about them.  I don't know why."

"Probably so we wouldn't be influenced by them, or try to be like them."  Sly said.  "You know how the younger ones try to be like the older ones.  They were probably afraid if we saw what they did we'd try to do it, no matter what it could have done to us."

"I think Syl's right."  Max said.  "I mean do you think they tell the others about us, the ones who escaped?  I don't think so."

"Look I don't really think this matters much, what matters is us getting out of here.  From what Alec said, they're coming to get us.  I don't think any of us want to be here when they arrive."  Zack said.  "But we'll stay together.  We have a better chance as a full group."

"But they'll be expecting us to run."  Max argued.  "It's better if we just stay here and lay low for a while until they leave."

"They'll be combing the city for us."  Zack argued back.  "We'd have a better chance if we leave.  Alec knows you guys, he knows your hangouts."

"Max is right."  Angela said.  "They won't expect us to stay here.  We find a place to stay for a while, till things die down, then we can leave, after they've checked places, and won't look again."

"But where is there to go?"  Jondy asked.  "Lydecker has eyes everywhere."

"The factory you guys just took down."  Logan said.  "The police would have finished with it by now and no one'll be there.  It's a secure area, you'll be safe there."

"Okay," Max said turning to the others.  "Go get you're stuff, we'll meet back here in one hour.  Angela and I'll go home and get our stuff.  Logan, Original Cindy's going to stay with you, it's too dangerous for her there by herself."

"I agree.  Get back soon okay."  Logan said kissing her deeply.

The others were already moving out, doing what they had to do before they went into hiding.  Stuff they'd been trained to do.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~        

"Do you think we're doing the right thing?"  Max asked Angela and Original Cindy.  "Or do you just think we're putting ourselves in more danger?"

"It's the right thing to do Max," Angela said.  "They won't expect us to stay in town, they'll be expecting us to run."

"Yeah boo," Original Cindy said.  "You gotta do what you gotta do.  I don't want my girls getting into any trouble.  Plus Original Cindy's been set up all nice."

"Yeah," Max said but a lot of stuff was still going on in her head.  They stepped into Logan's apartment to see the place virtually covered with different stuff.  Food, blankets, lights, practically everything you'd need if you were going camping, but they weren't.  "Are the others back yet?"

"No," Logan said.  "But it's only been forty-five minutes.  Give them some time." 

"We're right here."  Zane said walking in the door.  "Well most of us, Zack's just covering a few tracks, making some false leads, the stuff he's good at.  He'll be here soon."

"Let's get this junk into bags while we wait for him."  Max said.  

They spent the next fifteen minutes trying to get everything into bags that they could carry, and even then there was still stuff they had to carry.  Since not all of them had transportation, they were going to have to walk, but decided that the people with motorbikes would take most of the stuff.

"Are we all ready to go?"  Zack asked walking in the door.  He looked around the room.  "If we have enough stuff."

"We do," Max responded.  "But you, Jondy, Zane, Krit and I have to take most of the stuff, and the others'll walk."

"Okay, but Angela comes with me, I'm not having her walk out there."  Zack said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Fine," Max said.  "Let's go people."  She pulled Logan aside and they had a quick conversation and kiss before they grabbed some stuff and went down to the bikes.  About five minutes later four motorbikes tore off down the street and the others started walking.

They got to the factory about ten minutes later and started to make the place a little more comfortable because they were going to be there for a while, but Zack made sure that it could be packed up and hide if the occasion called for it.

"This place is filthy."  Angela commented as she ran her finder over a table, it coming away covered in dust.

"Why don't you clean it up for us then."  Max said, getting out the food and setting it up on one of the tables.  

"Because I don't have a death wish."  Angela responded and went to help them unpack.

The others arrived half an hour later with the rest of the stuff.  "Well, this place certainly looks homey."  Jondy said sarcastically.

"It'll have to do for the time being."  Zack said.  "In the meantime, make sure that everything can be packed up in hurry, we never know when we'll have to leave."

"This place has an old bomb shelter where we can keep some of the stuff and hide if we need to, when it's closed it's practically impossible to see."  Max said coming out of one of the rooms.  "The bathroom's that way.  This place is an absolute shit hole, but we'll have to deal for now."

"When do you think they'll get here?"  Angela asked.  Her and Zack were away from the group in the old bomb shelter setting up stuff there

"Soon, it sound like they were ready to leave when we spoke to Alec," Zack said the name with absolute loathing.  "So they'll arrive in Seattle soon, and be here for about three days before they move on."

"Do you remember Alec?"  

Zack nodded.  "I hated him.  We were always fighting for the role of leader.  I had it and he wanted it.  Lydecker actually encouraged our fighting; he said that it would make a stronger leader.  He wasn't with us when we escaped; he actually liked it at Manticore.  I'm glad that he wasn't with us though, he would have put us in danger."

"How so?"

"He was reckless, wanted power."  Zack responded.

"Yeah, I know, he always wanted to be in control."  Angela said caught up in her memories.  "I remember whenever I wasn't doing something with him he'd always demand what I was doing, like I was going to cheat on him or something.  And whenever we'd go out, if any guy looked at me, he'd get really angry.  It was so scary sometimes; I didn't know how far he was going to take it.  That's what made me break it off with him.  That and Max kept telling me how bed he was."

Zack's jaw was clenched tight, he didn't like hearing what Angela did with Alec.  "It doesn't matter now.  You got away from him and he's not going to get you back."

Angela smiled.  "Thanx Zack.  I'm sorry that I've made you run again.  I know what that's like."

"Well you're worth it."  Zack smiled.  He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her towards him.  He kissed her softly, wanting to savour the moment.  Angela wrapped her arms around his neck to keep his lips on hers.

They were so involved with eachother that they didn't hear Max come down the stairs.  "Can't you guys find a room?"  She asked amused.

"We have go one, but you seem to keep interrupting us."   Zack said pulling away from Angela but kept his arm around his waist.  "What do you want Max?"

"I need to talk to Angela for a minute.  Privately."  She said when he didn't move.

"You know you're going to have to tell us soon."  He said to Angela.

"I will soon.  Just let me talk to Max."  Angela placed he palms on Zack's muscled chest and pushed him out of the room.  "What is it Max?"

"Just thinking.  Your father's a X1.  Why don't you show any of his genes?  You don't have a barcode, you can't do any of the stuff we can.  Why is that?"

Angela shrugged.  "How would I know, maybe it's because I've never tried to use them before.  Come on, Zack's right, the others need to know about me."

"You're sure?"  Max asked.

Angela nodded and went to where the others were to tell them.

"Hey guys, you're about to be filled in on the details that are Angela."  Max said.  "Feel privileged."

"So we're finally going yo hear about the mysterious Angela."  Zane commented.  "Don't let me stop you."

"Shut up Zane."  Jondy said, elbowing him in the stomach.

"So where do you think I should start?"  Angela asked the group.

"How about you tell us what 'power' you have that you and Max always whisper about?"  Ben said folding his arms.

"Alright."  Angela said sitting down on one of the makeshift chairs.  "I'm telekinetic.  I can move things with my mind."

"We know what telekinesis is," Zane said.  "But how did you get it."

Angela shrugged.  "I have no idea.  My mother wasn't telekinetic and my fathers an X1, so I don't know how I got it."

"You might be telekinetic because of who your father is."  Zack said.  "Maybe that's what happens to half-breeds."

"Thanx for the compliment, Zack."  Angela muttered.

"I don't think so," Max said doubtfully.  "What her father is wouldn't give her telekinesis.  It has to come from something else."

"I have no idea where it comes from and I don't really care.  All I want to know is why Manticore wants Alec and I to…" Angela shuddered.  "…breed." 

"They must know about you."  Syl said.  "That's the only reason."

"But they couldn't."  Angela denied.  "There's no way they could have found out.  The only people that knew before you guys was Max and Logan, that's it."

"And your mother."  Max stated quietly. 

Angela's eyes widened in comprehension and she put her head in her hands.  "Of course.  My mother.  She's the only other person who could have told them.  Great, just great."

"If you and Alec had children, they'd be practically unstoppable.  The perfect warriors.  Our abilities and yours combined.  That's what they want, and unstoppable warrior."  Max said.  "It also explains why you and Alec has sex so much."

"Thanx Max, that's really something I want out in the open."  Angela rolled her eyes.  "But it does explain a lot.  Why he was so territorial, secretive, and the sex."

"But why did he wait so long?  Why didn't they just grab you when they found you.  It doesn't make any sense."  Ma shook her head.

"Nothing makes much sense anymore."  Angela muttered.

"I think everyone thinks that."  Brin said quietly.  "How long are we staying here?  I don't mean to be a pain, but this place is really creepy."

"Yeah, it's kind of got a dead feeling to it."  Angela put in.

"We can leave when the action dies down a bit."  Zack said, assuming his leader role again.  "But until then, no one is to leave this building.  No one."  He said looking directing into Max's eyes.

"Zack, you think I'd go against your orders?  I'm hurt."  Max said putting a hand to her chest and acting wounded.  "Really I am."

"I'm sure you are."  Zack said sarcastically.  "Okay everyone, look around the building, check everywhere for any sort of bugs that might be here, and places that we can get out of in a hurry."

While they all went off to do that, Angela just stayed where she was, thinking.  If Max was right and her mother had given them the information, then she might still be alive and could lead the Manticore people to them.  That's if they realised what she can do, Angela thought to herself.

"What are you thinking about?"  Brin asked Angela after she had finished checking her designated area.  "You look kinda lost."

"Just wishing I hadn't got any of you guys into this."  Angela responded not looking at her.  "It's not fair, what I've done."

"That's not what you were thinking about."  Brin said quietly.

"What?"  Angela asked shocked.

Brin smiled slightly.  "If there's one thing I'm good at, it's being able to tell when people are lying.  It's a gift.  Sometimes."  She added grudgingly.

"I know how that feels."  Angela said.  "But as to what I was thinking, don't worry, I'll be able to handle it on my own."

"But do you want to handle it on your own?"  Brin asked.  "You might think that keeping everything to yourself will be easier on others, but it isn't."

Angela smiled.  "You seem to know everything.  How do you know so much?"

"Always being on the run tends to make a person more wise about things going on around them."  Brin smiled back at her, then they both broke into laughter.

"You two seem to be getting close."  Max observed walking up to them.  "Should feel jealous that you might take my best friend away from me Brin?"

"Of course you should Max, we all know how long you have kept friends for."  Brin said jokingly.

"Until they piss her off."  Krit said.  "I remember when she tried to make friends with some of the X4's, that was a disaster waiting to happen.  They were talking about something, when Max suddenly punched the guy.  You should have seen the look on everyone's face.  It was hysterical."  He was laughing so hard that he had fallen to the ground holding his stomach.

Max went over and kicked him on the butt.  "We had a difference of opinions."  She explained.

"You almost killed the guy."  Krit said still laughing.

"I did not."  Max denied.  "I just showed him who the better fighter was."

"And I take it that was you," Angela said.

"Of course."  Max said smugly. "No one's beaten me."

"I have," Zack said to her.  "Numerous times in fact."

"But you don't count."  Max said waving him off.  "You're part of my team, I'm not including any of you."

"Probably because you know we'd beat you."  Zane said.

"You would not."  Max insisted.  "The only person in this room that could beat me is Zack, and Angela if she really wanted to, but she never would because she knows that-"

"I'll kick your ass if you don't shut up."  Angela said sweetly. 

"Here we go again with the secrets."  Zane rolled his eyes.  "Why can't you just tell us everything?"

"I told you everything that you need to know."  Angela said.  "You don't need to know about my control issues."

"Control issues?"  Tinga asked.  "What do you mean by that?"

Angela rolled her eyes.  "Sometimes, if I'm in a really bad mood, or any mood for that matter, I can't control my powers."

"Can control them?"  Ben raised his eyebrows.  "You can't control them?  And you thought that we didn't need to know any of this?  That is a very pertinent detail that you decided to leave out."

"It's not like that.  I have a measure of control over them."  Angela started.

"What do you mean?"  Jondy asked.

"I can direct my power somewhere else so no one gets hurt."

"So instead of blowing up a few people you blow a fuse box or something.  That's what you're saying?"  Ben asked, and when Angela nodded he sighed.  "Well that's a relief."

"What makes you loose control?"  Zack asked quietly.

"Usually it's anger, that's one of the strongest emotions, but I've been warned not to let any of my emotions take over.  That's what does it."  Angela responded.

"Warned?"  Syl asked confused.  "Who warned you?"

Angela laughed.  "A fortune teller.  I was bored and went into China Town one night; this old lady came out of nowhere and told me not to get carried away by my emotions.  I didn't know what she was talking about at first-"

"But when you threw a few people across the room it came back to you."  Max put in.  "It was actually funny from my point of view."

"I'm sure it was."  Zack said looking at Max and shaking his head.  "But we need to talk about this.  Angela you need to get a better grip on your emotions, then you'll have more control."

Angela looked at him is disbelief.  This guy had engaged in major make-out sessions with her and now her was telling her to screen her emotions.  "Get a grip on my emotions?  I handle my emotions very well thankyou.  You wanna see?"  She didn't wait for an answer; she just pulled the knife she always kept with her out of her pocket and threw it at Zack.  Just before it would have hit him in the face Angela raised her hand and stopped it.

"Wow," Zane said, his eyes wide.  "Pretty cool."

"See?"  Angela said.  She drew the knife back to her and put it back into her pocket.  "I have control."  She walked away from the group and into the bomb shelter.

"Good work Zack," Max said as she watched Angela leave.

"What did I do?"  Zack asked genuinely confused.

"Angela hates it when people ride her about her control."

"Well with what she just did it's obvious that she needs to control her anger a bit."

Max just rolled her eyes.


	7. Bored Now

**PART 7:  Bored Now**

"Come on Zack!  Can't we leave now?"  Krit wined at him for the hundredth time.

It was really beginning to get to Zack, the way everyone was acting.  They'd been here for two weeks and everyone was getting restless.  "Not yet.  Give it some more time.

"More time?"  Krit's eyes widened.  "How much more time is needed?  We've been here for two weeks and if we don't get out soon, I think I'm going to go insane.  So will everyone else I think."

"You won't go insane Krit."  Zack said rubbing his eyes.  "We're mean to be able to handle under any circumstances."

"You're not at Manticore, Zack," Angela said from across the room.  "You're in the real world now.  Not everything is some Manticore game.  Life isn't a game."

"It's an adventure," Max put in from across where she was sitting on the floor, throwing a tennis ball against the wall in her boredom.

Angela sighed and made her way to the door.  "I'm going for a walk.  I need to get out of here for a little while."

Zack jumped up and met her at the door.  "No you're not.  Lydecker's out there looking for is and you want to go out for a stroll!  I don't think so."  He stood in front of the door with his arms folded.

"You're not my CO Zack.  You're not anyone's CO.  You're here because you asked for our help.  Well we gave it and now you owe us one.  So let me go for a walk or I'll move you out of the way myself."  When he just stood there, not planning on moving Angela git angry.  "Fine have it your way."  She lifted her arm in the air and the higher they went the higher Zack went.  To get him out of the way of the door Angela moved him to the other side of the room.  "No one stops me from doing something I want to do."  She jerked the door open but did not go outside, because she had been stopped in her tracks by the figure standing there.

"I have a feeling I'll be able to stop you."  Alec said smiling.

Angela gasped, starting to back away from the door and raise her hands.  "No you don't."  Alec said using his sped to grab your hands with one of his.  "None of your mumbo jumbo."  He motioned to the soldiers behind him and they all moved forward, surrounding the others.

"What did you do to Syl?"  Krit demanded as one of the soldiers carried her in and lay her on the floor.

"Nothing for you to worry about."  Alec said still holding Angela's hands.  "She'll wake up when we get back to Manticore.  When _all _of us get back to Manticore."  

"I'm not going back there," Max, said moving into a fighting position.  "You'll have to kill me first and I don't think that any of you are capable of doing that.  None of you are strong enough."

Alec tilted his head.  "An interesting suggestion, but we've been given our orders already.  We're going to take you back alive.  They were Lydecker's orders.  However he didn't say that you had to be conscious."

Four people moved to surround Max, all in experienced fighting positions.  Max recognised them as being other X5's.  "Jace?"  She said looking directly at one of the people, who was a friend when she was at Manticore.

"No time for family reunions.  Get the under control."  Alec told them.  He turned to Angela who seemed to be just standing there in shock.  Her eyes going between him and her friends.  "Don't you have anything to say babe?  I would think that you would after us being apart for so long."  He turned her around bringing her hands behind her back and handcuffing them.  "All better now."  He said turning her around and kissing her on the forehead.

Angela jerked away and started struggling.  She used all of her strength pulling on the handcuffs, knowing deep down that it wouldn't work, but trying it anyway.  She was pulling on them so hard that they split her skin and blood ran down her hand in a sticky trail.

Alec saw it and clicked his tongue.  "Baby, you're hurting yourself."  He held her hands together so she couldn't move them and placed some cloth between the cuffs and her skin.  "Now you can't hurt yourself."  He drew her into his arms and hugged her.  He ignored the fighting that was going on around them.  Instead preferring to focus on the woman in his arms.

Angela struggled against Alec's arms holding her, but he was too strong.  She turned her head so it wasn't buried in his chest and yelled out to her friends.  "Max!  Zack!  Help me please!"  She knew that they were fighting and needed to concentrate, but she had to get away from Alec.

Zack's head jerked around when he heard Angela yell, momentarily distracted he almost didn't move in time to avoid someone's fist.  He made quick work of the people he was fighting and ran towards Angela.  He didn't like the way Alec was holding her, like she was his.  Well she wasn't and Zack was going t get her away from him.

When he was about ten feet away from them Alec looked him directly in the eyes and pulled out a taser gun.  Without blinking, he shot Zack in the chest.

Zack fell to the ground gasping.  Pain was all that he could feel.  It hurt worse than being shot.  He felt the world going dark around him, but he tried to fight it.  He could and he felt him limbs start to go slack as his vision went black.  Before he lost consciousness he felt someone tying up his arms and legs.  "Last one."  Were the last words he heard before surrendering to the black.

"Zack!"  Angela cried trying to pull away from Alec as he put the gun back in his pocket.  "You shot him, you bastard!"

"Calm down baby," Alec said stroking her hair.  "Get them in the car."  He told the other X5's.  "I want to be out of this dumb ASAP."  He started to pull Angela towards some cars lined up outside the warehouse.

Angela struggled and managed to move away far enough to kick Alec in the shin.  Hard.  She turned and started to run back into the warehouse, but was stopped by another male X5, who picked her up and took her back to Alec.

"Good work X5-156," Alec rubbed his shin and winced.  He took Angela from him and threw her over his shoulder.  "Still got those strong legs I see."  He said hitting her on the bottom when she struggled.  He walked out to the dark cars and climbed in the back seat.  He placed Angela in one of the seat and did up the seatbelt.  "Can't have you flying through a window now can we?"  He shut the door and sat down, not putting on a seatbelt himself.  "Let's go."  He told to the driver.

Angela sat back in her seat trying to move her hands without being noticed.  If she could just get them to the front of her body, she could use her powers.  She wasn't paying attention to anyone else so she didn't notice Alec preparing a needle.  She did, however notice when he injected it into her arm.  "Hey!"  She said jerking back, but it was too late, Alec was finished injecting the liquid into hr arm.

"Sorry I have to do this baby, but it'll be easier on you if you sleep through out little trip.  He placed her head in his should he held it there when she tried to pull away.

She tried, she really did try to pull away from Alec, but she was so tired.  She drifted off to sleep, her last thought wondering what would happen to her and the others.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~          

Angela woke up just as they were pulling into the gates of Manticore.  Her head was still resting on Alec's shoulder.  She stayed very still; hoping that Alec and the others hadn't noticed that she was awake.

"Where do you want me to put the rogue X5's sir?"  A dark voice said from outside the car.

"Put them in the holding cells and then report to Col. Lydecker to further orders."  Alec got out of the car, taking Angela with him.  "I know you're away."  He said as they walked into one of the buildings.  "You've never been able to pretend around me."

Angela started struggling violently, but Ale held her easily.  She gave up after a few minutes when it was obvious that he wasn't going to let her go.  "What am I doing here Alec?"

"You know the answer to that."

"I guess I just want to hear you say it."

"You're here because I want you to be here, for me.  And Lydecker wants you here for other purposes."

"So where are e going now?"

"To see Lydecker."

"You always were a man of many words weren't you."  Angela said sarcastically.  "I can walk you know."

"I'm aware of that Angela, but at the moment I want to hold you.  I always liked holding you, and if I recall, you like it too.  Now is that too much to ask?"

"It is as a matter of fact."  She sighed.  "You know this is _one _of the reasons we broke up."

Alec stopped.  "You broke up with me because I liked to hold you?"  

Angela shook her head.  "Not that, you were too controlling, too possessive.  Look I don't think this is the place to be having this conversation."

Alec resumed walking  "You're right, we'll have it somewhere else later.  When Lydecker finishes with you we're going to talk about what happened between us."

"No we're not."

"Yes we are."  Alec argued.  He stopped in front of a large door and knocked. He opened the door when they were bid entry.  When they entered Alec put Angela's feet on the ground and released her.  He stood at attention and saluted.  "Reporting in sir."

"Was the capture successful X5-494?"

"Yes sir it was.  We captured all nine rogue X5's with minimal difficulties.  They were very surprised to see us sir."

"I'm sure they were soldier."  Lydecker went and stood in front of Angela.  "This is the subject you failed to capture the first time."  He looked her up and down and smiled, he had a very pleased look on his face.

"Yes sir."  Alec's jaw was rigid.

"She doesn't seem like a challenge soldier.  What was the problem again?"

"Circumstances forced me to pull out of the assignment.  I explained all of this in my report, sir."

"Yes you did soldier."  He looked Angela in the eye.  "So you're the girl that has stirred so much interest in the ranks."  He looked her up and down.  "For what you seem capable of you're not very big.  If I had never seen you before this moment, I would assume you were taller."

"Sorry to disappoint," Angela said sarcastically.  His remark about seeing her before disturbed Angela a bit.  How long had they been watching her?  "Why am I here?"  Angela demanded, knowing that if she showed any weakness, Lydecker would use it against her.

"You're a very unique person."  Lydecker started to explain.  "Our scientists want to find out more about you.  What your power is capable of."

"What power?"  Angela asked frowning.  She wasn't sure how much they knew about her gift, but she wasn't going to hand out any information.

"Don't play dumb with us.  We know about your telekinesis.  We know more about you than you do.  We made your father in hopes that he would have the power you have.  When it was evident that he wasn't going to develop them., the scientists worked out that even though he had the potential, he wouldn't receive the power.  His offspring would.  So we brought in a female and he impregnated her.  We monitored her progress along with those of the baby X5's that had been born not long before.  The higher powers decided that your power mixed with that of a X5 would be unstoppable.  So at a very young age you were paired of with X5-494, who you know as Alec."  Lydecker walked over to his window and looked out.  "It was going to be brilliant, but we ran into one problem.  Your mother ran away with you just after your birth.  We don't know how she did it, she was extremely weak from the birth, but she vanished, disappeared.  

"It wasn't 'till a few years ago that we found you.  It was decided not to bring you in right away, but to put you and Alec together and see what developed."  He looked at Alec reproachfully.  "But when the mission was unsuccessful, we decided to take a different approach."

"But why did you wait this long?"  Angela asked a bit unnerved at the fact that she had just found out how she had got her powers.  And that she had been _made.  _Not made in the way as the others, but similar.  It made her flesh creep.  "Alec and I broke up months ago.  Why wait until now to do something?"

"Because we found the rogue X5's.  We thought it would be easier to get them all at once.  Rather than having to go around the country for them.  Sort of like getting two birds with one stone.

Angela shook her head.  "Why couldn't you just leave them alone?  They weren't doing anything to expose you.  Why not just let them live out their lives?"

"I could not allow any breach of protocol.  What they did was inexcusable and they will be dealt with accordingly.  As for you, Alec will take you to the labs and you will be…changed.  All for the better I am sure."  Lydecker said smiling.  "You're dismissed soldier." 

Angela's eyes widened and shr turned to run out the door, but Alec grabbed her arm before she got three feet away from him.  "Look, you don't have to do this."  She looked at Lydecker, panicked.  "I'll do whatever you want, okay?  Just please don't do this."

"It'll be okay."  Alec whispered softly in her ear and stroked her hair.  "You won't even know what happened afterwards.  You'll just remember all the important things.  You're loyalty to Manticore and me."  He grinned.  "What could be better than that?"

"My freedom."  She looked at Alec, pleading.  "Alec please, if you have any feelings for me at all, then get me out of here."

"I'm doing this _because _of my feelings for you."  Alec said softly, leading her out the door.  "It's going to be great.  You'll see."

"Tell the doctors to proceed without me X5."  Lydecker said.  "I have some other business yo attend to first."

"Yes sir."  Alec responded saluting and took Angela to one of the labs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~          

Lydecker walked down the halls of Manticore, barely able to contain his excitement.  After ten years he had finally found and brought them back.  He nodded to the guard standing at the door.  The large steel door was opened and Lydecker entered, looking into the ten individual cells.  Nine of the were occupied."

"Lydecker," Max hissed.  "How did you find us?"

"That is none of your concern soldier."  He responded.  "You should be concerned about what I am going to do to you.  You all escaped, ran away.  That caused major concerns with the people of Manticore.  Now that we have you back, you will be dealt with accordingly.

"What do you mean accordingly?"  Jondy asked.

"Your minds will be altered to the proper way of thinking.  Eventually, that is.  While you wait, make yourselves comfortable, you might be here for a while."  He turned and walked out of the room, leaving them there in shocked silence.


	8. Changed

PART 8: Changed?  
  
When Angela woke the room was dark and she was frightened for a moment, until she remembered where she was. In her quarters, the rooms she shared with Alec. She smiled remembering some of things they had gotten up to in this very room. Angela rolled over to look at the clock, the light seemed to be very bright in the dark and it hurt her eyes. The little red lights said 5:23. Where was Alec? He didn't usually get up until it was absolutely necessary. While she was thinking on this the door opened and Alec walked in the room, looking all rugged and manly.  
  
Angela smiled up at him. "Where have you been? It's five thirty in the morning. You've never got up this early before."  
  
"I haven't been to bed yet." Alec answered moving to her side of the bed and sitting down. "How are you feeling?"  
  
Angela frowned a bit. "Fine. Why do you ask?"  
  
Alec shrugged. "You had a bit of a fever before. That's why you were sent back here before your training was over. Remember?" Alec said looking directly into her eyes.  
  
Angela waved it off. "Yeah I remember. I feel fine now. And because you made me sleep for ages I've woken up and can't get back to sleep." She looked at him reproachfully. "I told you I was fine."  
  
"Yeah, but you can't expect me to believe you. You would say you were fine if you were shot. I have to look after you, baby." He leaned down to kiss her softly of the forehead. "Lydecker wants to see you when you're feeling better. But I think he meant at a decent hour. So until then now about we get some rest." He stressed the 'we'.  
  
"But I'm not tired." Angela said as Alec lay down beside her, wrapping her in his arms.  
  
"Yes you are." Alec said. "Just try to get some sleep. For me please?"  
  
"But I'm not tired." Angela repeated even as she felt her eyes slide closed and her breathing even out.  
  
Alec grinned as he watched her sleep. "It really worked." He murmured to himself. I'll tell Lydecker in the morning, he though, right now I want some sleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
When Angela woke up again it was 8 o'clock and Alec was still fast asleep. He always was a deep sleeper, she thought. Angela felt something nagging at the back of her mind, but whenever she tried to get to it, it seemed to disappear. She shrugged, if she couldn't remember, then it couldn't be that important.  
  
She tried to move to get out of bed but Alec's arms were too tight around her. "Alec," she whispered. "Alec, it's time to get up." She said in a singsong voice.  
  
Alec only muttered something under his breath, tightened his hold even more and buried under the covers.  
  
"Alec, it's past 8 o'clock. We need to get up." Angela said giving his hair a slight pull.  
  
"Go 'way," he said pulling his head away from her. But when she just kept doing it he opened one eye and glared at her. "What?"  
  
Angela laughed, they went through this every morning. "I really don't know how Lydecker puts up with you. But we need to get up now. We have work to do."  
  
"I know," Alec said, then he grinned at her. "Do you know what went down while you were out of it?"  
  
"You got some manners?" Angela asked hopefully.  
  
Alec shook his head. "No, we caught the rogue X5's."  
  
Angela's eyes widened. "All of them?"  
  
"All of them." Alec said his grin widening.  
  
Angela smiled and jumped into his arms. "Congratulations. I bet Lydecker's happy about that."  
  
"He is. And he said that he wanted to see you when you were better. So get ready." He slapped her on the bottom. "We'll go see him now. You better hurry or we'll be late."  
  
Angela got up and went into the bathroom. Alec heard her muttering to herself as the door closed. "He tells me to hurry. He's the one that doesn't want to get up."  
  
Twenty minutes later she came back out, all refreshed and ready to go. "You better hurry up Alec, or we'll be late." She said smiling sweetly at him.  
  
Alec snorted. "I'll be ready in five minutes." He walked into the bathroom and shut the door. A few seconds late Angela heard the shower start.  
  
And sure enough, five minutes later he was ready.  
  
Angela snorted and shook her head. "How do you guys get ready so quickly? It's a miracle if you ask me."  
  
Alec smiled. "Because we don't do the things that the female population does. It tends to narrow down the time. Now lets go." He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room. They walked down the long, boring corridors of Manticore. It all seemed familiar, and unfamiliar at the same time.  
  
Angela looked at the people as they passed, she knew who they all were, but she didn't feel comfortable talking to them, especially the men. Alec would lave to hear that, Angela thought to herself, Alec was a very jealous boyfriend. Angela remembered when they were still living in Seattle and she had been talking with, Jason a friend she hadn't seen since she was a kid, and she gave him a good-bye hug. Just one harmless hug, when Alec walked up and punched the guy in the face. Poor Jason had a broken nose and Alec dragged Angela away furious that she had talked to another male. When Angela looked back on it now it was amusing, she could feel her face break into a grin.  
  
"What are you grinning about?" Alec asked. He looked at her strangely before saluting to a passing officer, Angela just nodded to him. He sighed when he saw her nod. "Why can't you salute to superior officers?"  
  
Angela smiled sweetly at him. "Because I have a problem with authority. You've said so yourself. And I was smiling because I remember when you punched Jason and broke his nose."  
  
"Jason?" He looked at her questioningly. "Who the hell is that?"  
  
"Some guy I went to school with as a kid." Angela responded. "I saw him when I still lived in Seattle I hugged him and then you punched him out." She looked at him reprovingly. "You didn't have to do that you know."  
  
Alec smiled at the memory as well. "Yes I did. That guy had his grubby hands all over you. He wanted you and you know I don't let anyone take what's mine." He looked her in the eye as he said it. "No one, understand?"  
  
Angela looked at him strangely. "Yeah I know. No need to look at me like that. Come on we're almost there." She took the lead this time; thinking about the look Alec had just given her. It was as if he thought that she had been with another man. Well I haven't, Angela thought, so there's nothing for me to worry about. She knocked on Lydecker's door and opened it without waiting for permission.  
  
"Lydecker!" She cried walking into the room. "You wanted to see me?" She smiled at the look on his face. She knew not to enter a superior's office without permission but she never followed that rule. The other officer that was there gave her a dirty look and turned back to Lydecker.  
  
"Sir are there any other further orders regarding the rogue X5's?" The officer asked.  
  
"No, you can go now." Lydecker said not taking his eyes off Angela.  
  
Angela smiled at the officer as he walked passed her he just looked at her scathingly. "What's his problem?" Angela asked when the door was closed.  
  
"The usual," Lydecker responded as he stood and walked to the other side of his desk so he was closer to Angela. "How are you feeling soldier?"  
  
Angela scrunched her face. "Fine. I told you yesterday that I would be fine; you didn't need to take me out of training.  
  
"We can't take any risks with one of out best fighters. You know that. Now as Alec has probably told you we have caught that rouge X5's." He eyes seemed to light up as he told her about the fight that went on to capture them. "Now I want you to go and see them and see if you can get any information out of them."  
  
"What kind of information?"  
  
"We've heard rumours that they had contact with people outside. We want to know who they were and what became of that contact."  
  
"What makes you think they'll tell me anything?" Angela asked confused. "I'm the enemy. They won't trust me."  
  
"I think they will. Angela you know how persuasive you can be. Now use that to get what we want. But be careful, they will use any method they can to try and get to you. Go there now and see what you can get. Don't try for too much all at once, they may catch on."  
  
"I don't think so. If they were stupid enough to get together again and be caught, then they won't realise what I'm doing until it's too late." Angela nodded to him and Alec and walked out the door towards the holding cells where she knew they would be.  
  
"Do you think she remembers anything?" Lydecker asked Alec after Angela had gone out of earshot.  
  
Alec shook his head. "No sir I don't. I hinted at things she would have known before but she didn't react. Her face or eyes did not change on bit. And I know that Angela cannot keep what she is hiding from her face."  
  
"Good," Lydecker said. "Very good."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What do you think they did to Angela?" Jondy asked as she lay on the narrow bed in her cell. All the cells were the same with just a small bed and sink. There was nothing there they could use as a weapon. There were guards posted outside the room that the cells were in and then further down the hall. All in all, if they did get out of the room they would be killed before they got far.  
  
"I don't know," Max said leaning her head against the bars. "But whatever it was you can guarantee that it's not good."  
  
"They're doing to her the same thing they did to Brin." Zack said from his position on the floor. He closed his eyes. Whether he liked to think it or not, he was the one that got her into this situation. He should have insisted that they move on, not stay in one spot. It was his bad judgement that got them into this situation and now there was nothing he could do about it.  
  
"What do you think they'll tell her?" Tinga asked. "I mean if she's been brainwashed or whatever how are they going to explain all the time she's spent outside this place?"  
  
"They won't," Max told her. "They'll probably just start making memories from when she was supposed to get here with Alec. She won't remember any of us, or anything from after Alec left. And that is just what they want. She's now the perfect soldier in every way. She's-"  
  
Max was cut off because the door was opening and Angela stepped through. She smiled at all of them. "Hey guys,"  
  
Zack jumped up from his position on the floor and pressed himself against the bars. "Angela! What are you doing here? What have they done to you?"  
  
Angela looked Zack up and down and grinned. "I'm here because I want to be. And as for what they did to me, gave me a shot or something, I fell asleep and now I feel much better."  
  
"Why did they give you a shot?" Max demanded. "What was in it?"  
  
Angela shrugged. "Beats the hell outta me. I had a fever, they solved the problem." She pulled up a chair to sit in front of the cells. "Now I have a few questions I want to ask you guys. And please answer truthfully."  
  
"That's not Angela," Max said backing away from the bars and sitting down on the bed. She put her head in her hands. "They've brainwashed her. Don't tell her anything."  
  
"No tell me everything." Angela said looking at Max peculiarly. "I want to know everything and if you tell me I promise to put in a good word for you. You know that you can trust me Max, I-" Angela stopped and her eyes widened for a second. She got up from the chair and turned around, shaking her head. What the hell was that? She thought. She felt things pushing against her mind but it hurt to find out what it was.  
  
"Angela?" Max asked looking up. She saw the conflict on Angela's face. "Angela, please remember. Remember what they did to you. Remember your life before all this happened. Remember all of us. Please remember."  
  
Angela turned around. "Shut up! I know what your doing. I do it all the time. You're trying to weaken me psychologically but it won't work. Now tell me everything you did outside and all the humans you've been in contact with. Tell me!" She yelled when no one spoke up.  
  
"Angela," Zack said quietly. Angela spun around to face him. "Fight what they've done to you. Remember what you told us when we got Brin back? You told us that she needed constant reminders of who she really was. Now we're doing that to you. Try and remember the truth. Don't belief what they've told you."  
  
Angela looked at him and closed her eyes. Everyone could see that she had an internal struggle going on and they wanted to do all they could to help. But they know that she had to do this on her own. There was nothing more they could do to help her just yet.  
  
"Remember," Zack whispered. "Remember me."  
  
Angela's eyes snapped open and she looked at all of the apprehensively. Then she turned and practically ran out the door.  
  
"Do you think she's remembering?" Max asked as she watched her best friend run.  
  
"I think so," Zack said, a pleased look on his face.  
  
TBC  
  
So what do you guys think? Please post feedback and I have a question for all of you. Do you think that Angela should remember now or later? Please email me and tell me what you think. Thankyou. 


	9. Remember Me?

PART 9: Remember Me?  
  
Angela ran all the way back to her room, ignoring the strange looks she was getting from other members of the compound. Her mind was filled with conflicting images and she didn't know what which of them were true.  
  
"Angela!" A voice called out from behind her.  
  
She recognised the voice immediately, but still she kept running. The last person she wanted to deal with right now was Alec. She didn't know if he had betrayed her or if the X5's were just trying to confuse her. She was so bewildered.  
  
"Angela!" Alec called again. "Stop!"  
  
She didn't, she just ran faster. It was useless though, Alec caught up with her anyway. He pulled her to a stop with a jerk. "Why were you running from me?" He asked, not even breathing hard.  
  
Angela tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn't let her go. She was sweating heavily and trying to control her breathing. "Please Alec, I just need some time to myself. Please." Angela pleaded with him, hoping that he would understand.  
  
"What did they say to you?" He demanded, knowing that it had something to do with his fellow X5's. He should never have let her see them, he knew that they would to something to try and trigger her memory. "Tell me what they said to you." He demanded again.  
  
Angela shook her head, still trying to get away from them "Nothing. Please Alec, just let me go. I need to be alone." She was almost in tears. Angela's thoughts were in turmoil, she didn't know what was real and what was false. She didn't know if she had shared those memories with the man that was holding her, or if they were with the blonde that popped up in her mind every few seconds.  
  
Alec released her, knowing that if he pushed her any further he would just loose her. "Alright," he said quietly. "But I think you should get some rest. Go back to our room, I'll make sure no one disturbs you."  
  
Angela nodded, not really paying attention. "Thankyou." She said before walking down the hall, her arms securely wrapped around her as if she were trying to block out the world.  
  
Alec watched her go with a sad look on his face. He knew that her real memory was coming back to her, and that tore him up inside. For the longest time he had tried to deny his feelings for her. He knew that if his superiors found out about his feelings he would back taken off the mission. And he hadn't wanted that to happen.  
  
But from the first moment he laid eyes on Angela, he couldn't get her out of his mind. He did everything he could to try and get her to go with him. He wasn't going to take her back to Manticore. He didn't want her live in the hell that he lived in, he wanted to run away with her, maybe go to Canada where no one would find them. He had even got new identities for them and had planned a fire at a restaurant they frequented at, making it look like they had perished in the flames.  
  
He had known for some time before she denied him that she was having doubts, that Max was telling her things about him. He did everything he could to make her believe that she was the one for him, but Max had obviously turned her mind against him. But now he had her, and he was loosing her again.  
  
Alec sighed, feeling sorry for himself, before turning back the way Angela had come. He was going to talk with the other X5's; it was going to be a long, friendly conversation.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Angela ran back to the room she shared with Alec. She knew that he would leave her alone for a short time. Even with all the conflicting emotions, she knew he would keep his word.  
  
She threw herself on the bed, closing her eyes; she tried to calm the mixed array of emotions and memories hurling themselves around her head. She needed to find out what was real and what wasn't. As hard as it was, she searched through her memories and soon found that what wasn't real made her feel like it was déjà vu.  
  
She remembered everything. How Zack and the others had come to town for Brin. How they ended up having to hide, but were caught. But mostly she remembered the look on Alec's face, sad but determined. He hadn't wanted to hurt her, but he had no choice. Deep down, it was almost like he had real feelings for her.  
  
Angela groaned, rolled over and buried her face in the pillow. Now, more than ever, her mind was in disarray. She didn't know what to do. Should she confront Alec, or would he just mind-wash her again? No, the best thing to do was get out, get the other X5's and get out.  
  
Angela smiled grimly. She had a plan, not a good plan, but a plan. Now all she had to do was go through with it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What did you tell her?" Alec demanded of Zack storming into the lock up. The X5's were calmly sitting or lying on the beds in their respective cells.  
  
"The truth," Zack said coolly. "You should have known it would be a bad idea to bring her in here. You knew she would figure it out. How is she by the way?"  
  
Alec glared at him for a moment before turning away, his shoulders slumped. "How do you think she is?" Alec asked sarcastically. "She's confused as hell. Doesn't know what's real from what we planted in her head. She'll figure it out soon though, she's smart." He had the shadow of a smile on his face.  
  
Max saw the look in his eyes, the longing and sadness. "You really care about her don't you?" She said softly.  
  
Alec spun around to face her. "Of course I do! I've never done anything other than love her." He said wryly.  
  
"Than why are you doing this?" Max persisted.  
  
"Because I have no choice," Alec said. "This was the only way I could get her." He turned on Max, his eyes filled with so much fury that she took a step back. "if it wasn't for you we wouldn't be here right now. None of us. You guys would be off doing whatever it is you do and Angela and me would be in Canada away from all of this. It's your fault!"  
  
Max was confused and it showed on her face. "You weren't going to bring her here? Why? What the hell were you going to do?"  
  
"Of course o wasn't going to bring her here. Did you think I wanted her to live like this?" He indicated to their surroundings. "Never be able to do what she wanted, when she wanted, always having to take orders. I'd never want her to live like this."  
  
"But if you keep her here that's exactly the way it'll happen." Max explained. "Lydecker will keep her prisoner and there won't be anything you can do about it. You're just a pawn in his game, Alec."  
  
"Don't you think I know that!" Alec yelled. "But this was the only way I could have her, even if it was only for a short time. It was all I could have." He repeated, although more quietly this time. His turned away from the group, staring blindly at the wall. "I want you to get her out of here." He told them, still not staring at the wall. "Do it tonight."  
  
"You're just going to let us go?" Zack asked in disbelief. "There's a catch somewhere."  
  
Alec turned to him. "No catch. I told you I don't want Angela to have to live like this. She deserves better. She remembers who she is now and I don't want her to hate me for what I had to do."  
  
"You didn't have to do it," A soft voice said from behind him.  
  
Alec's eyes widened and he spun around. Angela was standing in the doorway, her eyes filled with pain. "You didn't have to bring me here." She said again. "Why didn't you just come to me in Seattle? I would have listened to you."  
  
Alec walked up to her, but she backed away from him. "Don't you think that thought ran through my head thousands of time?" Alec said frustrated., running his hands through his hair. "But when you didn't meet me at the cabin I went to find you. Manticore found me first. They didn't know that I wasn't going to take you back here, but Lydecker decided I was getting too close to you. So they pulled me off the assignment and I spent the next six months in psy-ops, they tried to program you out of my system. I made them believe it worked, for a while at least, but Lydecker caught on quick. He knew I would never forget you. But he ignored it. He knew I wanted you, would do almost anything to have you, so we decided that the best way for me to get what I wanted was to capture you. The X5's were just a bonus."  
  
"But you're letting us go now." Angela commented. "You went to all this trouble to bring me here and now you're letting me go?"  
  
Alec nodded.  
  
"Why don't you come with us?" Angela asked impulsively.  
  
"What?" The X5's said in unison, all with shocked expressions on their faces.  
  
Alec just smiled sadly. "As much as I would love to get out of here, I can't. after you guys leave they'll be watching me like a hawk, I won't be able to sneeze without them knowing about it. I'll go back to psy-ops and that'll be that."  
  
"You have to come with us then, for that reason." Angela insisted.  
  
"She's right," Max put in reluctantly. "They'll take away who you are. They'll make you into their tool, Alec."  
  
"I have no choice," Alec responded. "This is my life, how I live. I can't make my own choices like you do, I have to live like this."  
  
"If you can't come with us now, come later on. We'll come back for you." Angela told him. "After we leave and get clear we'll come back for you, in about six months. How does that sound?" She asked hopefully.  
  
Alec sighed. "Angela, it wouldn't work. I'll be kept under lock and key, my every move watched. You wouldn't be able to get to me."  
  
"You can't stay in this hell-hole, if we make it look like we got away on our own, that you had nothing to do with it, won't it take the suspicion off you?" Angela asked desperately.  
  
"No it won't," Zack said speaking for the first time. He didn't like how Angela was trying to help Alec. How desperate she was to get him out. "They'll be suspicious because he's supposed to be watching you."  
  
"Please," Angela pleaded. "You have to leave this place. It's toxic and it will kill you. You know that and you still stay here." Angela was becoming angry. She cared deeply about Alec. She had known when they were together that there was an inner struggle going on inside him. She just hadn't known it was this bad. "If you told me this when we were seeing each other, than there might have been something I could have done to help you."  
  
"Forget about it Angela." Zack told her harshly, really not liking how close she was getting with Alec. She was his and she knew that. So why was she being so nice to him? Probably because she still cares about him, a little voice whispered from the back of his mind. He shook the voice off and continued talking to Angela. "He's not coming with us and there's no way I'm coming back for him. He chose this place, he can stay here."  
  
"Don't be so rough, Zack." Jondy said, also feeling sorry for Alec. "Can't you see that he wants to leave? But he's letting us go first and is willing to take the wrap for it. Show a little emotion here."  
  
"I'll come back for you," Angela was determined to get her way. "I've got in here before without anyone knowing, I can do it again. Getting out's easier than getting in anyway." She said smiling. Already a plan was forming in her head about how to get Alec out of this hell.  
  
Alec smiled tolerantly. "I hate to tell you this, but we knew you guys were in here before. You know that too because everyone was chasing you, trying to lock you up."  
  
Angela waved her arm carelessly. "That's not the only time I've been in here."  
  
"What?" Alec and Zack gaped in shock. "When have you been in here before?" Alec asked, furious that she would put herself in that kind of danger when he had always been trying to get her out of it. But hey, it wouldn't be the first time she'd done something crazy.  
  
Angela winced, realising too late that she shouldn't have said that. "I was curious about Max and what she could do, so I came in here, photocopied some of her files and left." When Alec and Zack just looked at her expectantly, she smiled sheepishly. "Okay, so I took some medical files as well as some meds for Max, that's all I took I swear."  
  
"So that's how you found out how to stop me seizures faster." Max said, wondering how Angela could have got in and out of here without help and without anyone knowing she was here. It was something to admire. "You told me you squeezed some old med-tech for the info. You lied!" Max grinned. "I'm so proud of you!"  
  
"Don't be proud of her." Zack said angrily. "You shouldn't have done that Angela. What if they had caught you? Then you would be the one stuck in this hell-hole - your own words there. It was a stupid thing to do."  
  
"As much as I hate to admit it, Zack's right." Alec agreed reluctantly. "It was a risk you shouldn't have taken. But you guys have to get out of here tonight." He started to explain what they were going to have to do. It only took a few minutes for Alec to tell them and then Alec and Angela were going back to their room, seemingly the happy couple. If anyone asked, Angela had been confused but she and Alec had talked to the X5's and she realised that they were lying; now everything had been sorted out. 


	10. Time To Go

Part 10: Time To Go  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Angela asked Alec one more time as she prepared to leave their room and Manticore, for good.  
  
Alec nodded. "I'll try to get out if I can. Let's just get this over with." He said softly. They left and made their way to the cells holding the X5's. They quietly walked through the halls avoiding the cameras. Soon they were in the cell room and Alec was unlocking the doors. "The C4 will go off in three minutes, you'll only have five before they realise you're gone. Good luck." Alec said, trying to act like he didn't care. He turned to leave the room.  
  
"Alec wait," Angela caught his arm. "I'll come back for you. I promise, just hold on for a little while." She reached up and kissed him softly on the cheek. "Don't forget us," she whispered in his ear.  
  
Zack took her by the waist and pulled her away from Alec. "We need to go now," he told her, practically dragging her out of the room.  
  
They ran down the halls, taking out guards of they were seen. The C4 went of three minutes later and the explosion threw them all to the ground. But they were up seconds later, this time at a full run. They broke out the back doors, making their way into the forest. Their escape went unnoticed as everyone was occupied with putting out the fire caused by the explosion.  
  
They ran into the forest and out onto the roads, as luck would have it, a huge pick-up truck was coming along. Zack ran out to the middle of the road and flagged it down. The truck slowly pulled to a stop before him. Zack walked to the driver's side, planning on knocking him out and putting him in the back.  
  
"Need a ride?" A familiar voice asked.  
  
"Logan!" Max called running over to the truck. "How did you know?"  
  
"Alec told me," Logan responded. "Now lets get as far away from here as possible before they realise you're gone."  
  
They all piled into the truck, some on the front, some in the back. "What did Alec tell you?" Angela asked, sad that they had to leave him behind.  
  
"To come and pick you up." Logan told her. "I didn't believe him at first, thought it was a trap to get Eyes Only. But he seemed on the level. He actually seemed sad about it. What's all that about?"  
  
"He let us go?" Angela responded quietly before turning to look out the window. "But I'm going back for him."  
  
"What?" Logan asked. "He just got you out of there and you're going back to get him. Why the hell would you do something so stupid?"  
  
"Because she still loves him," Zack told him quietly. It was then he knew the truth; Angela had never stopped loving Alec, and seeing him again, brought old feelings back. The pain was worse than when he had been shot.  
  
Angela looked at him sadly, but nodded. "I'm so sorry, there's nothing else I can say to make this better. But I do still love him."  
  
Zack nodded, trying to look understanding. "He was the first guy you ever loved. I get that, you love him." He turned away from them and jumped into the back with the others.  
  
Angela looked at him sadly, then turned to Max, who turned away from her angrily. They rode back to Seattle in silence, dropping the truck off at a truck stop and walking back to Logan's. Since Logan had moved after Alec and Angela had broken up, they were safe for a while.  
  
"I'm sorry," Angela told her Max when they were alone. "But I couldn't lead him on."  
  
"Then you shouldn't have started it in the first place." Max whispered furiously. "If you still had feelings for Alec, you shouldn't have started with Zack."  
  
"Alec was out of the picture then. I thought I was never going to see him again. I thought that with Zack I could get a little bit of happiness. You didn't even notice." Angela was now getting angry herself. "You were happy in your own life with Logan, you didn't know that I was dying little by little each day."  
  
"If it hurt you that much why didn't you say something? To me or Original Cindy." Max asked her, angry at what she did to her brother.  
  
"I tried, but every time I tried something would come up or you'd leave, to come here. After a while I just figured it didn't matter. I was never going to see him again, there was no point bothering anyone about it." Angela left the room sadly. She made her way to one of the guest rooms avoiding people as she went. She opened the door and flopped on the bed. She tried, but she couldn't hold back the sobs.  
  
Max, remembering how Angela had been after Alec left. How many times she had tried to talk to her, but Max brushed her off, always having something more important to do. But the truth was it wasn't important, not always, mostly she had come here, to Logan's, basking in happiness that Angela no longer had.  
  
"Hey boo," Original Cindy said, walking up to give her a hug. "Good to have you back."  
  
"Original Cindy," Max turned to her friend, who was more in touch with other people's emotions than she ever would be. "Do you remember after Angela broke up with Alec?"  
  
"Yeah, why?" Original Cindy asked with a frown on her face.  
  
"What was Angela like after that?"  
  
"What do you mean?" She was still confused.  
  
"Was she upset? Did she try to talk to me and I just ignored her?"  
  
Original Cindy nodded. "My poor girl was heart broken. I tried getting her to talk to me, but she kept saying that she'd talk to you about it. So many times she tried to get you to listen to her, but you said you have other things to do. One day she came home and seemed happier, I figured that you two had talked, and she was all better, problem solved."  
  
"I didn't talk to her," Max admitted. "She just told me how she felt after Alec left." Max turned to Original Cindy, her eyes filled with guilt. "I was the one who kept telling her Alec was a bad guy, that she should break up with him. I didn't even know that she loved him. I just thought he was another one of her games. How could I have missed it? How could I have been so blind?"  
  
"Maybe you should go talk to her boo," Original Cindy suggested quietly.  
  
Max nodded and made her way to the guest room Angela always used when she was here. She was about to knock when she heard sobs coming from inside. If it was possible Max's guilt escalated. But she knocked anyway. "Angela, can I come in? Please?"  
  
"Yeah," came softly from inside the room.  
  
Max quietly opened the door and was treated with the site on Angela lying face down on the bed, her whole body shaking with the force of her cries. Max went over and sat beside Angela, just stroking her hair. "I'm sorry," Max, said quietly. "I didn't know how much you cared for him, how much you loved him."  
  
"Apology accepted," Angela mumbled.  
  
"Please don't be so forgiving." Max pleaded. "I don't deserve to be forgiven. Not after the way I treated you. My best friend was in pain, and I was too wrapped up in my own life to notice it."  
  
"You had other things on your mind," Angela said. "I should have tried to talk to you more," Angela had turned her face away from the pillow so she could be heard more clearly. "I'm sorry about what I did to Zack. If it's any consolation, I did have feelings for him. My feelings for Alec are just stronger. Please tell him that I didn't mean to hurt him." Angela asked Max.  
  
"I will," Max, promised, getting up from the bed. "You get some rest."  
  
"Thanks, Max." Angela whispered before falling asleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"How is she?" Zack asked Max.  
  
Max started. She hadn't known he was outside the door. "I think she'll be okay." She turned to her brother. "I guess you heard everything said in there, huh?"  
  
Zack nodded. "She loves Alec. I think somehow I knew that. Whenever I was with her, it was almost like she was wishing I was someone else." He shook his head. "I thought she was over him, she seemed pretty angry when we saw him on the computer screen."  
  
Max nodded. "Anger's Angela's way of dealing with things. I just hope we can get Alec back for her," she turned to her brother. "I'm sorry I didn't- "  
  
Zack held up his hand. "It's alright, I know how much you care about her."  
  
"I just don't know what it will do to her if she looses him again. It could tear her apart. We have to get him back." Max said desperately. "I can't loose my best friend."  
  
"We will, Alec's strong. He knows how to survive." Zack told her. "We'll have him back before she knows it."  
  
"I'll talk to Logan. See if he can find out what will happen to him." Max said walking away. Before she turned the corner into Logan's office she asked him; "Are you going to be okay?"  
  
Zack nodded. "I've been through worse than this." She smiled slightly before walking into the kitchen. It was odd, but he knew that he was going to be okay. He would get through this.  
  
TBC  
  
What do you think? Major twist, but I just think Alec's better for Angela. Please tell me what you think, and if you're worried about Zack don't be, he'll find somebody. 


	11. Waiting

Part 11: Waiting  
  
"Has anything changed?" Max asked anxiously of Logan as soon as she walked in the room. She looked over at Angela who was curled up on the couch, staring blindly out the window, with a lost look on her face.  
  
Logan shook his head sadly. "She hasn't moved in three hours. Did you find anything?" He went back to his computer room. For the past six months they had been trying to find any trace of Alec. A week after they escaped, Zack and Max went back to Manticore for Alec. They were able to get in and out easily; the whole base was still shaky after the explosion, and at this time, no one was looking for the missing X5's. But Alec wasn't anywhere to be found. They didn't have him locked up anywhere and he left no trail when he took off.  
  
"Nothing," Max said flopping into one of the chairs in the room. "I'm running out of places to look, Logan. Zack called, there's no trace of him in Canada, the others are looking all over the country, and we can't find him anywhere."  
  
"But you can't look everywhere," Logan reminded her. "You're all still laying low so you can't stretch your resources that far. But I've been looking where you can't, and I still can't find him." He looked over at Angela sadly and said quietly to Max. "I think we have to accept the worst."  
  
Max stood up angrily. "Don't say that Logan, he's not dead. He's probably just gone into hibernation or something. He'll show up sooner or later. He has to," she said desperately. "Angela's wasting away. She won't eat or sleep, and I don't know how much longer her body will take it."  
  
"I think we should sedate her," Logan recommended. "That way her body will get some rest. We can pump an IV into her while she's asleep."  
  
Max shook her head. "Angela hates needles, she'd freak out if she woke up with one in her arm. It's not a good idea."  
  
"We can take the needle out before she wakes up. Max," Logan said when she was about to protest. "She'll die if we don't do this."  
  
Max nodded sadly and went over to Angela sitting down next to her on the couch. "Hey girl, how are you?"  
  
Angela shrugged, not taking her gaze from the window. It was like she was expecting to see Alec walking around outside. "Have you found anything?" She asked lifelessly.  
  
Max shook her head. "No, but we're still looking, Logan has some contacts who are looking into some leads. We'll find him Angela, I promise. Look, why don't you get some rest, I'll wake you up if we find anything." She kept her gaze on Angela as Logan creeped up behind her to inject her with a sedative.  
  
"I'm not tired," Angela, said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. She gasped as Logan put the needle in her neck. Her hand flew to where the needle entered her skin and looked accusingly at Max. "Why did you do that?"  
  
"You need to rest," Max told her catching her before she fell to the ground. Together her and Logan carried Angela to the guest room where Logan set up an IV for her. "How long will the sedative last?"  
  
"I couldn't give her much because she was so weak, but it should last at least five hours because of her condition. We should be able to get two of these bags into her." He indicated to the IV he was setting up.  
  
"Good," Max said. "She needs to sleep. I'm going to call Zack, see if he's got anything." She gave Angela's still form one last look before leaving the room. She went back into Logan's office, picking up the phone she dialled the contact number Zack had given her. It only took two rings before Zack picked up.  
  
"Max," he said knowing who it was.  
  
"Yeah," she answered. "Do you have anything for us?" She asked hopefully.  
  
"No, he hasn't come to Canada. I don't know where he could have gone. How's Angela?" He asked carefully.  
  
Max laughed humourlessly. "She's dying. If we don't find Alec soon, we're going to loose her. We need to find him, I can't loose her Zack."  
  
"I know," Zack said soothingly. "Have you gotten Logan to send out an Eyes Only broadcast? It might help find him."  
  
"We can," Max told him. "Manticore would know we're looking for him. We can't risk him coming out in the open just to be caught again."  
  
"Then tell him to meet you in a place that only he and Angela knew about. Manticore wouldn't know where they met would they?" Zack suggested.  
  
Max's eyes lit up. "Zack, you're a genius! I'll got tell Logan. Thankyou so much." She made kissing noises at the phone before hanging up; she could hear his laughter in the background. She ran back into Angela's room. "Logan, Zack just gave me the best idea. Come into the computer room." She said more quietly.  
  
"What is it?" Logan asked warily.  
  
"Send out an Eyes Only broadcast to Alec," Max started.  
  
"Max, we already agreed that would be a bad idea, Manticore would come running." Logan reminded her.  
  
"But if we tell him to meet us in a place that Manticore doesn't know about, then no storm troopers are going to come and get us." Max said gleefully. This had to be the best plan Zack had ever come up with.  
  
Logan reluctantly agreed. "But where are we going to get him to meet us. It has to be isolated, we can't have anyone knowing about it."  
  
Max thought for a moment. "The cabin! The cabin where he wanted Angela to meet him when he was going to take her to Canada. He told us that Manticore didn't know about it, that he didn't have any orders to take her back to Manticore. It's the perfect place."  
  
Logan nodded. "I'll get started then, you should go sit with Angela, in case she wakes up." Logan said moving to get ready.  
  
"Why?" Max asked, "You just gave her the sedative, she should wake up for another five hours, you said so yourself."  
  
"Yes I did, but Angela's been known to defy the impossible hasn't she?"  
  
Max smiled. "I guess she has. You do your thing, I'll stay with her." Max said moving off to Angela's room. Her best friend was lying on the bed looking as if she were dead; it was only the slow rise and fall of her chest that suggested otherwise. "We'll find him Angela," Max promised, taking her hand.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It wasn't until three agonising hours later that Logan was finished and came back into the room. In that time both of Angela's IV's had finished so when she woke up there would be no sign that a needle had been in her skin.  
  
"How did it go?" Max asked.  
  
"The message is out." Logan told her. "I just hope he gets it, and gets to the cabin safely. But we need to pack up and get there. He could be closer than we realise."  
  
Max nodded. "I'll get some things together for Angela and we'll get going when she wakes up. You get some stuff for us. Angela will be able to tell us where the cabin is." Max got up from the bed and grabbing a bag from the closet she began throwing in things they would need, for a long or short period of time.  
  
Angela woke up forty-five minutes later, proving that she never did what she was told. Even when she was sedated.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Max asked softly.  
  
Angela rubbed her forehead. "Angry. You know I hate needles."  
  
"I know, and I'm sorry, but you needed to get some rest, and that was the only way we could think of." Max told her. "But come on, we're leaving."  
  
"Where are we going?" Angela asked alarmed. If they left, Alec wouldn't be able to find her if he came looking. "We can't leave, if Alec-"  
  
"Alec's coming to meet us," Max told her.  
  
Angela's eyes widened happily. "You found him? Where is he?"  
  
Max held up her hand. "We haven't found him exactly. Logan sent out a broadcast telling him to meet us at the cabin you were meant to meet at in the first place. When he was going to kidnap you off to snowy Canada."  
  
Angela's eyes narrowed warily. "Wasn't that dangerous? What if Manticore finds us?"  
  
"They won't. They didn't know about the cabin. It was a last minute thing of Alec's." Max smiled. "You don't have anything to worry about. Now come on, we need to go, and you need to tell us how to get to the cabin. You do remember don't you?" Max asked teasingly.  
  
"Of course I do," Angela said jumping out of bed, ignoring the dizziness it caused. "Come on," she rushed them. "We need to go now!"  
  
Logan and Max smiled happily. "This is the most energy she's had in months," Logan commented approvingly, watching her run around the apartment, gathering up whatever she though they would need.  
  
"So lets go before she leaves without us." Max suggested.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It only took under two hours to get to the cabin, and throughout the Journey Angela couldn't sit still. She was like a child constantly asking the question 'are we there yet? Are we there yet?' it almost send Max and Logan crazy. But Angela was excited; she was going to get Alec back, so they couldn't hold her excitement against her.  
  
Angela practically flew out of the car in her haste to get into the cabin. "Alec!" She called after she had thrown the door open. "Alec," she called again, the time uncertainly. He wasn't there. No one had entered this cabin in months. The dusk lay undisturbed and there was no water or electricity. She turned to Max and Logan who were just coming into the cabin now. "He's not here," she said sadly.  
  
Max shook her head. "Of course he's not here. We only sent the message out a few hours ago. If he's halfway across the country it will take him longer than five hours to get here." She laughed quietly.  
  
Angela grinned sheepishly. "I guess so. I'm just so anxious to see him."  
  
Logan smiled tolerantly. "We know, you don't have to apologise to us. Now," he rubbed his hands together. "Let's get this place cleaned up. I'll turn the power on and you girls can take care of the inside." He couldn't get out of the house fast enough.  
  
"Logan!" Max wined. "I can't believe he's leaving us to do all of this."  
  
"I know," Angela agreed, "But I need to keep busy, time goes faster that way." So she started to get to work. First she dusted all the counter tops, then swept the floors, straightened up all the rooms and threw open the window to get rid of the musty odour.  
  
"I've never seen you clean so fast in my entire life." Max told her in amazement.  
  
Angela flopped down on the couch, exhausted and looked at her watch. "Only three hours!" She turned to Max. "How long do you think it will take Alec to get here?"  
  
Max shrugged. "Logan's put the message on repeat just in case he missed it the first time, but assuming he got it, at least week, maybe longer."  
  
"I can't wait that long!"  
  
Max laughed. "Yes you can. If you love him, then you can wait for him."  
  
Angela shrugged. "I guess you're right, again. I just need something to keep me busy until then."  
  
Max smiled wickedly. "I brought a chessboard, if you're willing to take me on."  
  
"Don't Angela, she's violent when it comes to that game." Logan warned her, finally coming into the house.  
  
"Oh, so you finally decided to show up." Max chided him. "I didn't know it took that long to set up the power."  
  
Logan nodded seriously. "Yeah, the wires were all tangled, it was hell, but I got through it and I'm a better man for it."  
  
"Wires?" Angela asked innocently. "And here I always thought there was just one little switch to flip. But hey, I'm a girl, what would I know."  
  
"I always thought that to," Max agreed with Angela. "But it looks like we were wrong." She gave Logan a death glare but he just smiled and went into the kitchen.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Max and Angela were sitting at the table playing the four hundred and twenty seventh game of chess since that had arrived at the cabin. The number was correct too, Angela was counting. So far it was seventy forty, Max's way, but Angela was making a comeback and it looked like she was going to win this game.  
  
"How long has it been now?" Angela asked Logan thinking about her next move.  
  
"Twelve days," Logan responded not looking up from the files he was reading. He was away from the city, but not going to deny his Eyes Only duties.  
  
Angela looked up at Max, surprised. "Twelve days? You said it would only take him a week to get here."  
  
Max could see Angela becoming distressed. "I said that was if he saw the first broadcast. If he wasn't near a television then it would take longer. We don't know where he is so we don't know how long it will take."  
  
"Well I hope he gets here soon." Angela said, making her move. "Checkmate." She got up. "I'm going for a walk. See you soon." She left the room quietly, leaving Max to gape at the chessboard.  
  
Logan looked up happily. "She beat you? Good on her."  
  
Max glared at him. "Care to have a go Eyes Only. I can still whip your ass at this game. Your skills are nothing to what I was taught at Manticore." She laughed at him.  
  
"I think I will," Logan said getting up and moving to the chessboard. "If Angela just beat you, you might still be vulnerable, I'm going to take advantage of that. Let's go."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Angela walked around the woods surrounding the cabins aimlessly. Twelve days. They had been here for twelve days and there was still no sign of Alec. I need him, she thought, I can't loose him again, I'll die if that happens.  
  
The woods were silent, only the occasional bird chirping to disturb the peaceful silence. I shouldn't have left him at Manticore, Angela thought to herself. The more she had thought about it, the more she hated herself. She should have let the others get out, but she should have stayed with him. She didn't care if she had to live in that place, she would have been with him. But now there was nothing she could do to change that.  
  
She looked up at the sky, the moon was full and beautiful in the night sky and the stars were easier to see further away from the city. But the beauty meant nothing to her, not when she couldn't share it with him.  
  
Angela walked over to one of the large trees and slid down the surface to the ground, tears falling down her cheeks. The pain in her chest was so strong; it was like she was being ripped apart inside. Alec was her life. She had almost died after he left that first time. She didn't know how much longer she could take not being with him.  
  
"Sleep," she whispered to herself. Time went by faster when you were asleep and it was already past midnight. She wiped the tears from her face and made her way back to the cabin. She smiled at Max and Logan who were absorbed in a game of chess. "I'm going to bed." She told them.  
  
"Okay," Max said not looking up.  
  
"Sweet dreams." Logan said in deep thought.  
  
Angela shook her head and went to her room. She quickly got into her pyjamas and into the bed. It only took a matter of moments from when her head hit the pillow to when she was asleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Angela stirred slightly in her sleep but her movements were stopped by a hand pressed against her mouth. Her body stiffened. Manticore! Her mind screamed at her. She gathered her power to throw him across the room but his voice stopped her.  
  
"Angel?" He asked quietly. "It's me Alec,"  
  
Angela's eyes widened at both the endearment and the man who had said it. His hand moved from her mouth and she threw her arms around him, pulling him on top of her. "Alec!" She whispered. "Is it really you?"  
  
His answer was only to kiss her softly. A kiss that went on for some time and got deeper and deeper. When he finally pulled away they were both breathing heavily. "What do you think?" He said, his voice husky.  
  
She pulled back and slapped him on the arm.  
  
"What was that for?" He asked in amazement, rubbing his arm.  
  
"What took you so long? We sent that message two weeks ago."  
  
"Twelve days okay," he told her softly. "I was halfway across the country when I saw it. I couldn't fly here at that moment. It takes time to travel across the country."  
  
"Why didn't you wait at Manticore for us?" Angela asked, a bit hurt. "We were going to come and get you."  
  
"I know," he rubbed her cheek softly. "But after you left the guards came to get me. They knew I let you go, I heard the talking earlier, talking about how to kill me. So I decided that it would be better for my health if I left."  
  
"So why didn't you come to us?"  
  
Alec shrugged. "I thought you were with Zack," he said the name harshly. "I didn't know you wanted me. I thought you just felt sorry for me."  
  
Angela forced him to look at her. "I've never felt sorry for you. I love you, nothing could change that. Ever."  
  
"Then why didn't you come with me the first time?" He asked softly.  
  
Angela was the one to shrug this time. "Because I was afraid. Max had told me all these things about you. I thought you had some sort of ulterior motive in wanting to bring me here. And you did, you planned on kidnapping me."  
  
"It would have been for your own good." He reminded her, settling himself more comfortably on the bed. "I didn't want Manticore to get you."  
  
"I know that, but you could have let me in on your plan." Angela reprimanded him.  
  
"I couldn't risk you telling Max," Alec said wearily. "It could have ruined everything. Or she could have convinced you not to come with me."  
  
"I still would have come, Alec." She told him softly. "No matter what Max or anyone else said to me, I still would have come."  
  
"Good to know," he mumbled, pulling her closer to him. "Sleep now, talk later."  
  
Angela smiled and snuggled down next to him. "I feel like a teddy bear." She told him. But he was already asleep. Angela grinned, he looked so cute when he was sleeping, and for the first time in months Angela slept peacefully. 


	12. Happy Endings

Part 12: Happy Endings  
  
Angela woke up the next morning, feeling better than she had in months. She tried to stretch, but was stopped by the arms around her. She smiled remembering that Alec had come back last night. She was so happy! And hungry. For the first time in months she was actually hungry. She nudged Alec with a roll of her hip, but he just mumbled incoherently and pulled her closer to him.  
  
"Alec," she whispered. "We need to get up, I'm starving."  
  
"Sleeping," he muttered.  
  
Angela grinned. "I realise that, but I need food."  
  
Alec groaned, but reluctantly opened his eyes. "I haven't slept in ages, I used all my energy coming to get you, now I have a warm bed to sleep in and you're waking my up. That's just cruel."  
  
Angela's grinned widened. "I know, and I'm sorry, but I need to eat."  
  
Alec's arms tightened around her for a moment before he nodded. "You do, you've lost too much weight. Didn't they feed you while I was gone." He asked, concerned that anyone had let her get this thin.  
  
"I was never hungry." Angela shrugged, "But now I am, so get up and I'll make us some pancakes." She pulled away from him to go out to the kitchen.  
  
Alec got up fast. "Well if you're cooking, then."  
  
Angela rolled her eyes, but walked out to the kitchen, not waiting for him. She smiled brilliantly at Logan and Max who were in another chess game. "Good morning everyone."  
  
"You seem happy," Max, commented, looking at her strangely.  
  
"Am I?" Angela asked. "I can't think of any reason to be so happy." She walked into the kitchen humming some pre-pulse song.  
  
"Morning," Alec said walking past Max and Logan and into the kitchen.  
  
"Morning," the repeated, not really paying attention. Then their heads snapped up and they bolted for the kitchen, where they saw Alec calmly sitting at the table and Angela making breakfast.  
  
Angela, seeing the looks of shock on their faces asked innocently. "Do you guys want pancakes for breakfast too?"  
  
"Angela," Max said in excitement. "You do know that Alec's in the kitchen."  
  
Angela nodded. "He arrived late last night. Now do you want pancakes or not?"  
  
Max grinned and nodded. "Sure," she said walking over to Alec where she hit him on the arm, hard.  
  
"Hey," he cried, "Do I have a sign that says 'hit me'? Angela already did that, so why are you doing it?"  
  
"Why didn't you come sooner?" Max demanded. "Why did you let me best friend practically waste away, and then only come when we call you?"  
  
"Max," Angela said softly. "He thought I was with Zack."  
  
"Does that matter?" Max asked. "You should have come anyway to make sure she was okay. Would that have killed you?"  
  
Alec shook his head. "I should have come to check on her, but I figured, I didn't want to see her with Zack, that would have hurt too much. So after Manticore went down, I left. I figured it was better for everyone if they didn't know where I went."  
  
"Well, you should have come and seen us anyway." Max said, although with less heat now.  
  
"Max," Angela grinned. "I've already had a go at him for this. He has seen the error of his ways and will never leave me again. Isn't that right?"  
  
Alec nodded. "Although I'm still seriously contemplating taking you away from all of this. Your friends are a bad influence on you."  
  
Angela laughed. "But what are we going to do about Manticore? Won't they come looking for us?" Angela asked, worried that there was going to be another obstacle to overcome before they could be at peace.  
  
Alec shook his head. "No, after you sent me they message I went to a place we used to go to, a place Manticore knew about, and I blew it up. They think that all of us, including the other X5's died in the fire." He grinned at his genius.  
  
Max laughed. "Good work, there might be hope for you after all."  
  
"That means we can go back to our old lives," Angela said. "We can go back to work and not worry about being locked up in a lab." She made a face. "Then again, I'm not so sure I want to go back and work at Jam Pony."  
  
Alec left the table and went over to hug her. "Would you still want to work there if I was working there?"  
  
Angela spun around to face him, a huge smiled on her face. "You got a job there? Normal gave you a job? That's so great!"  
  
"That's if Normal gives us our old jobs back." Max commented.  
  
Alec was the one to grin now. "He will, I told him that you were taken away by worshipers of George Herbert Walker Bush to set and a monument in his honour."  
  
Max laughed. "And he believed you? Where did you tell him this monument was?"  
  
"Utah," Alec told them, and they all laughed.  
  
Angela looked around at her friends. She was with Alec and she had everything she wanted. She was happy and her life was now complete.  
  
THE END 


End file.
